Ghana and LA Galaxy winger Joseph Paintsil faces an unfortunate setback ahead of crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers after sustaining a quad injury.

The 26-year-old star, who had a stellar debut season in Major League Soccer (MLS), is expected to be sidelined for approximately eight weeks. This means he will likely miss Ghana’s upcoming matches against Chad and Madagascar, a significant blow to the Black Stars’ qualification campaign.

Paintsil’s absence also adds to LA Galaxy’s injury concerns, with key midfielder Riqui Puig already ruled out due to an ACL injury suffered last season.

With the new MLS season kicking off on February 23, Galaxy’s preparations for their opening clash against San Diego are now further complicated by their growing injury list.

For both club and country, Paintsil’s injury is a tough pill to swallow, as Ghana aims to dominate their qualification group while Galaxy looks to start their season strong.