GHANA ace Michael Essien has finally spoken of his disappointment at missing this summer’s World Cup.

Chelsea midfielder Essien tore the medial ligament in his left knee while training with the Black Stars ahead of the African Nations Cup in January.

The injury kept the 27-year-old out for the remainder of the Premier League campaign yet he was still named in the provisional 30-man squad.

However, he could not prove his fitness and was therefore ruled out of the tournament in South Africa.

“Since my injury in January I had been working hard to come back for Chelsea and Ghana, but it wasn’t to be,” Essien said.

“I did everything I could but eventually I succumbed to the injury and had to accept the fact that the body takes its own time to heal and you cannot rush things.