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Ghana FA Executive Committee Member Geroge Afriyie says comments passed by Nana Fitzgerald over the form of Michael Essien are �unfortunate� and �baseless�. The veteran football administrator insisted the Chelsea ace is �finished� and therefore will be unwise to hand him a call to the Black Stars. Essien, 29, has struggled for form and regular playing time under interim boss Roberto Di Matteo after recovering from a knee injury sustained at the beginning of the campaign. His uninspiring performances for the Blues whenever handed a rare start has raised several doubts as to whether he can still be relied upon during national team assignments � doubts epitomized by Fitzgerald who remains adamant the former Lyon enforcer is finished. But Afriyie in his reaction to Fitzgerald�s comments says it is way too early to write of a player of the caliber of Michael Essien. �If really Nana Fitz said that then it is very unfortunate comment which lacks basis,� he told Kumasi-based Angel FM. �Unfortunate in the sense that here in Ghana we retire our players prematurely or say things to discourage them. �How can you rate a player who has been making the eighteen man squad of Chelsea in a tough league like the EPL on a consistent basis as finished? �I don�t know the kind of football Nana Fitz has been watching, I don�t know what his understanding of modern football is, I don�t know where he is coming from, all I know is that Essien is still a good player � good enough to make the Chelsea team.�