Black Stars midfielder Thomas Partey says he is ready to return to action after being unable to join Ghana’s squad in Canada for their opening 2026 World Cup match against Panama last week.

He was denied entry due to his current legal battle regarding sexual assault charges in the UK.

Speaking to the media on Monday, June 22, Thomas Partey admitted the difficult times he went through when he was denied from playing the opener and had to watch from the sidelines. He has now recovered and is ready to play.

“Well, I think it’s part of football. Things happen in football that you cannot control. So, for me, now I feel okay, and I’m ready to play,” Partey told reporters on Monday.

After being cleared to join the squad in the United States, Partey is expected to make his first appearance of the tournament against England.

His availability comes as a major boost for coach Carlos Queiroz, whose side faces one of its toughest tests of the group stage against the European heavyweights.

England FA on players shaking hands with Partey

The English Football Association seems to have decided to stay neutral on the controversy building surrounding England players' decision not to shake hands with embattled Ghana international midfielder Thomas Partey.

It all started in early June when UK media began questioning whether England players were going to involve themselves in the customary pre-match handshake with Thomas Partey, who is currently facing numerous sexual assault charges in the UK, for which he maintains a not guilty plea.

Reacting to that, reports indicated that the England FA, around 20–21 June, declared its stance, clarifying it would not issue directives, leaving the decision to individual players as the two countries, Ghana and England, prepare for their FIFA World Cup Group L encounter in Boston on Tuesday, June 23, according to reports in the United Kingdom.

The report said the FA is determined to keep the focus on football and will leave individual players to make their own decisions on whether to participate in the traditional pre-match greeting with the 33-year-old.

It further indicated that England manager Thomas Tuchel has consistently avoided engaging in political or legal controversies, maintaining that his primary responsibility is preparing his team for matches.

As a result, there are understood to have been no formal discussions within the England camp concerning Partey's legal situation ahead of the encounter.

Meanwhile, the sexual assault case Partey is facing, which has led to conversations about the handshake, is the same one that led to his visa denial by Canada, which robbed him of the opportunity to play in Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama last week.

Despite Ghanaian authorities' last-minute legal and diplomatic effort to secure permission for him to enter the country briefly to take part in the game, that appeal was rejected by a federal court in Ottawa.

According to the court, there was “no serious issue in the underlying refusal” of the visa and “the applicant failed to disclose that he is the subject of multiple criminal charges for sexual violence in the UK”.

According to reports, Canadian officials rejected the appeal following a hearing during which it emerged that details relating to the charges he faces in the United Kingdom had not been disclosed in his visa application.

Partey's assault charges

The Ghanaian international's legal woes began just four days after he departed from Arsenal. He is currently facing six serious criminal charges in the UK. The charges were formally presented at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5. These charges have been levelled against him by about three different women and are set to stand trial next year on June 7, Partey at Southwark Crown Court in London on seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

In one of the charges, Complainant 1 claims that, between April and May 2021, Partey penetrated her anally during what began as consensual vaginal intercourse, without her consent. She further claims that between April and June 2021, Partey engaged her in anal sex on at least four separate occasions without her consent.

Complainant 2 also alleges that in December 2021, after she refused to engage in sexual activity, Partey raped her vaginally. She also claims that in February 2022, he penetrated her anally after she explicitly declined anal sex. A third allegation from Complainant 2 states that during a trip to Marbella, Spain, in June 2022, Partey raped her vaginally.

Complainant 3 also claims that in February 2022, Partey lay on top of her, attempted to kiss her, and touched her over her clothes without her consent.

However, the player has denied all the allegations levelled against him. His lawyer has denied the charges of rape and sexual assault against her client.