When Carlos Queiroz named Thomas Partey in Ghana's World Cup squad, the logic was clear... as were the risks.
For the best part of a decade, Partey has been one of the Black Stars' most accomplished players.
He's performed at the highest levels of European football (including the 2016 Champions League final), won silverware in England and Spain, and has represented Ghana at four major tournaments.
Even as he turns 33 on June 13, he remains one of the West Africans' most prominent players and, on paper at least, one of their best bets of escaping Group L at the World Cup.
However, Partey's hopes of competing at the World Cup, and Queiroz's expectations to lean on his experience in midfield, were dealt a significant setback on Friday when the midfielder was denied entry to Canada, ruling him out (at least) of Ghana's opener against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Partey has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London's Metropolitan Police, with his trial set to start in June 2027.
A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued a statement to ESPN on behalf of Lena Diab, the office's minister, giving context to the decision to refuse Partey's entry.
"Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada's immigration laws," the statement read.
"Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies." FIFA, in a statement published on Friday, confirmed that Partey had been unable to travel from Ghana's team base in Boston to Canada, while reaffirming the Canadian government's right to determine who has the right to be admitted to the country.
On paper, the midfielder's inability to play against Panama represents a setback for the Black Stars, but they may now be forced to become a better team in his absence.
While no one can doubt Partey's quality at his peak, the gap between his recent performances and his former ability to influence matches appears to have grown irreconcilable.
Once upon a time, he was Ghana's midfield heartbeat; he could dominate opponents physically, cover huge distances, win duels and dictate tempo. He was one of Africa's finest in his position in his prime.
But that player hasn't been seen for a while.
The 25-26 season at Villarreal was disappointing, with Partey starting just eight La Liga games as he struggled to establish himself in the starting XI, while the explosive athleticism that once allowed him to control midfield battles appears to have disappeared for good.
Ghana's recent draw with Wales provided ample evidence of Partey's limited influence on games.
He struggled to impose himself, appeared sluggish in possession, his decision-making was poor and he was lucky not to have been sent off for a series of poorly timed challenges that had no business being in a pre-World Cup friendly.
He looked rusty, he lacked intensity, and he looked far short of the kind of player around whom Queiroz would build his new-look Ghana.
Given his limited activity for Villarreal this season, Queiroz was perhaps banking on the midfielder getting sharp ahead of and during the World Cup, in order to return to something closer to his previous ability... but even the Portuguese head coach must have acknowledged to himself that it was an increasingly risky punt.
Indeed, given the criminal case he's facing in the United Kingdom, the costs of including Partey had begun to be felt far more prominently then his qualities.
Throughout Ghana's World Cup prep, Partey's legal situation has regularly overshadowed discussion of football. It's been brought up regularly at media conferences, with every such event risking becoming a debate about court proceedings rather than tactics and team selection.
"It's a simple and basic answer," the 73-year-old told journalists about his decision to include Partey ahead of the Wales friendly. "As far as I know, in England, in Portugal, whatever, we are living in this world, until the court makes a decision, that the presumption of innocence is on the side of all court cases.
"But today, and this is not only about Thomas, very unfortunately the way the social media and the media sometimes act with full and total impunity, we are condemned even before we have the opportunity to defend."
Innocent until proven guilty, yes, but the severity of the crimes, and the fact that the police and the Crown Prosecution Service have determined that the legal test for prosecution has been met - specifically, that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest - and that there is realistic prospect of conviction, should have given Queiroz reason to pause and consider whether it was in anyone's interests to include Partey in his plans.
Ghana's Sports Minister, Kofi Adams, was quick to defend the Black Stars' decision to name Partey in their World Cup plans after Canada's decision this week.
"We got a decision that he had been denied entry to Canada on very flimsy reasons," he told Citi FM. "I say flimsy because the person had already been charged. He has not been found guilty.
"One is therefore surprised that Canada, which is so far away [from the UK], will now apply rules to the extent that where somebody has just been merely charged, that person has been deemed guilty."
The reaction during the Wales friendly also offered a potential preview of what Ghana could have faced (and may still face) with Partey during the tournament, as almost each of his touches was greeted by boos from sections of the Cardiff crowd.
It appeared to destabilise at least Partey, and there was every chance that could have been repeated at the World Cup - it still might should the midfielder feature in Ghana's second and third group games, both of which will take place in the United States.
Surely, Queiroz's press conferences would have still featured the familiar questions about the merits of including Partey, a situation that will only intensify now that he's made headlines once again after Canada denied him entry to their territory.
Even if Partey returns - miraculously - to his former levels of performance, Ghana would be carrying baggage that no other tournament team faces. World Cups are challenging enough already without such self-inflicted tension.
There's also a sporting upside to having to do - for one game at least - without the veteran.
For several years, Ghana have appeared caught between generations, unwilling to move on the ageing names and place their trust in the youngsters. Jordan Ayew, 34, remains a key figure in the squad, while 31-year-old Abdul Rahman Baba was given an unexpected international swansong for the Black Stars at the World Cup.
Partey's presence naturally encouraged Queiroz to build his midfield around him, even if the justification may not be wholly rational any longer.
His absence, at least for the Panama game, forces Queiroz to accelerate a transition that may have been necessary anyway. Without the players around him constantly turning to Partey - as happened on occasion in the Wales game - Queiroz can yield to the collective, and trust in the likes of Caleb Yirkenkyi, Kwesi Sibo and Elisha Owusu to populate the team's engine room.
In this instance, losing a big name can create clarity for the West Africans.
Partey's absence could also benefit Ghana in a completely different way, not because the players think they're stronger without him, but because they believe they have been wronged.
If the Black Stars feel - rightly or wrongly - that one of their teammates has been treated unfairly, that sentiment could become a powerful unifying force.
Siege mentality can be a powerful advantage in football, and when teams convince themselves that the world is against them, it can unlock resolve and determination that didn't previously exit. This controversy could become the Black Stars' fuel.
It would be little surprise, if in the fraternal atmosphere of a Ghana dressing room, some members of the squad view Canada's decision through this lens, and Partey's absence could lead to a strengthening of the emotional bond within the group.
It could give this side - so listless and unanchored for so long - purpose.
Partey's participation in the rest of the tournament remains to be seen; there may be some eyebrows raised that the United States refused entry to Africa's best referee of 2025, Somalia's Omar Artan, but admitted Partey, who is set to stand trial for rape.
Furthermore, if Ghana finish runners-up in the group, their Last 32 game would take place in Toronto, requiring the team to again cross from the US to Canada in early July.
Is there a scenario where the Black Stars determine to send Partey home anyway in order to avoid the ongoing distraction and uncertainty his presence is bringing?
Questions remain, but for the Panama game at least, Partey's ban may ultimately prove to be more opportunity than setback - and even a blessing in disguise - for this squad.