Thomas Partey handshake vs England not shown on broadcast as camera cuts away

England's pre-match handshake with Ghana raised eyebrows after the reaction to former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey.

Partey started in midfield for the Black Stars, having missed their opening win over Panama because he was refused entry into Canada for the fixture in Toronto.

FIFA issued a statement over Partey's visa application being "refused by the Canadian government", with Ghana's government calling the decision "extremely" unfair.

An appeal was unsuccessful, with court documents stating that he had put "no" on his application form when asked if he had "ever been charged for any criminal offence in any country".

According to the Canadian government website, if a person has "committed or been convicted of a crime", they "may not be allowed into Canada".

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Partey, Ghana's vice captain, was allowed into the United States for games against England and Croatia and named in the starting eleven by Carlos Queiroz in Boston.

The Villarreal player is currently awaiting trial in London after pleading not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations made by four different women between 2020 and 2022.

His defence lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, said that Partey "continues to deny all charges against him" and said he "has cooperated with the police throughout".

The high-profile case and Partey's involvement in the game was part of the pre-match conversation, with unconfirmed reports stating that Ghana would make a point of placing Partey first in the line for the pre-match tradition.

That did not happen as Jordan Ayew was at the front of the Ghana line for the national anthem, with Partey further down.

The FA did not commit to a stance on Partey, with The Times reporting that they had left it up to the players to decide whether they shake hands with the ex Atletico Madrid man.

Declan Rice partnered Partey in midfield in his first two seasons at Arsenal, where the 33-year-old made 167 appearances across five years.

However, the broadcast feed did not show Partey shaking hands with any players - cutting away to a different angle and returning for the final handshakes.