Victor Osimhen is nursing an injury sustained early in Galatasaray S.K.’s UEFA Champions League clash with Liverpool F.C., with head coach Okan Buruk confirming the striker was forced off due to increasing pain.
The Turkish side suffered a heavy 4–0 defeat at Anfield, with goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah sealing Liverpool’s progression.
Osimhen’s difficult night began when he was caught from behind by Ibrahima Konaté in the early stages of the match. He required treatment on the pitch and, although he tried to continue, was clearly struggling with discomfort, particularly in his hand.
Providing an update after the match, Buruk explained why the Nigerian could not continue.
More Read
“Osimhen is in pain. It happened at the beginning of the game; we tried to keep him on the pitch, but his pain increased, so we had to substitute him at halftime.”
The Galatasaray boss also criticised the officiating, suggesting his striker was not adequately protected.
“Looking at Osimhen’s position, we saw that Konaté was able to commit these fouls very easily… while we were expecting the best referee in the world, perhaps one of the worst referees officiated the game.”
Despite the setback, Osimhen attempted to push through and had a late first-half chance, but his header went wide — his only real opportunity before he was withdrawn.
Buruk admitted the injury disrupted his team’s plans and contributed to the loss.
“Our opponent deserved to win the match much more than us. There were unfortunate events; our start to the game, Osimhen’s injury, our inability to make our presence felt… they played with more confidence, while we lost ours.”
“Our fans always expect a much more courageous Galatasaray, but none of our pre-match plans worked on the field. Injuries and the wrong decisions we made during the game had an impact.”
He, however, praised the effort of his players despite the disappointing result.
“My players put in a great deal of effort, and I respect their efforts… however, I am saddened by this defeat today.”
Osimhen had entered the game in strong form, with seven goals and three assists in the competition, but the early injury limited his involvement and forced him off before halftime.
Further medical assessment is expected to determine the extent of the issue as Galatasaray turn their attention to domestic competitions following their exit from the UEFA Champions League.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
