Bright Osayi-Samuel will miss the first leg of Fenerbahçe’s UEFA Europa League round of 16 clash after picking up his seventh yellow card of the campaign during his side’s 2-2 draw against Anderlecht in the second leg of their playoff tie on Thursday.
The Nigerian international, who was on the pitch for 67 minutes before being substituted for Mert Müldür, received a yellow card for a foul in the 53rd minute. With the game growing increasingly intense and tackles flying in, manager José Mourinho opted to take him off to prevent the risk of a red card.
Osayi-Samuel also found himself in the middle of unwanted statistics as he is the player with the most yellow cards in the group stage and playoffs round (7).
Despite the draw, Fenerbahçe secured a spot in the round of 16 with a 5-3 aggregate victory, having won the first leg 3-0 in Istanbul. In addition to Osayi-Samuel, Brazilian midfielder Fred will also be unavailable for the next match after accumulating his fifth caution of the competition.
More Read
Osayi-Samuel has been one of Mourinho’s most trusted players in the tournament this season, making eight appearances. However, his campaign has been marred by disciplinary issues.
He was sent off in the opening game of the season after receiving two quick yellow cards and also missed the final group-stage match against Midtjylland due to suspension.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle would have breathed a sigh of relief after Osayi-Samuel received on-pitch treatment following an ankle knock during the game. Fortunately, he was able to continue before being substituted.
© Bold Media Innovations & Creative Hub Limited. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
