Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz has defended the inclusion of Thomas Partey in Ghana’s squad, saying everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence until a court makes a ruling.

He made the comments during his pre-match press conference ahead of Ghana’s international friendly against Wales, where he was asked about criticism over Partey’s selection amid his ongoing off-field issues.

Queiroz stressed the importance of allowing legal processes to take their course and also raised concerns about how social media influences public opinion before facts are established.

“Well, it's a simple and basic answer. As far as I know, in England, in Portugal, wherever we are living in this world, until the court makes a decision, the presumption of innocence is on the side of all court cases,” he said.

“But today, this is not only about Thomas, very unfortunately, the way social media and media sometimes act with full and total impunity, we are condemned even before we have the opportunity to defend ourselves.

“So, probably, if I have to make a comment about this modern world, it is about the way people express themselves with full impunity. You can say and do whatever you want and nobody will charge you. So, let the events run their normal course, let the river flow, and one day, when the river meets the ocean, we're going to find the truth.”