Victor Osimhen has suffered an injury blow ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The Galatasaray striker picked up the problem during Friday’s Turkish Süper Lig meeting with İstanbul Başakşehir.
The timing will concern Nigeria, with the Super Eagles preparing for their opening qualifiers later this month. Osimhen also entered the game in strong form. He had scored five goals and provided two assists in his first three league appearances. His latest strike against Başakşehir took his league tally to six.
The injury occurred during the first half at Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium. Osimhen initially appeared to feel discomfort after a duel with Christopher Operi in the 23rd minute.
He continued after that incident. However, another run behind the defence soon created a bigger concern. Osimhen appeared to feel pain around his groin area and held the affected region.
The Nigerian then signalled towards the Galatasaray bench. Medical staff checked on him before he eventually left the pitch.
Galatasaray made the substitution in the 33rd minute. Barış Alper Yılmaz replaced Osimhen for the remainder of the match.
There has been no official diagnosis on the injury yet. Galatasaray will need further assessment before determining the seriousness of the problem. As a result, his recovery timeline remains uncertain.
The situation creates an unwanted concern for Éric Chelle. Nigeria will begin their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign against Madagascar on September 23.
The Super Eagles will then face Guinea-Bissau four days later. Both matches form part of Nigeria’s Group L campaign.
Osimhen remains a major attacking option for the national team. His recent numbers make his potential absence even more significant.
The striker has started the new season with a strong scoring return for Galatasaray. He had already established himself as one of the team’s key attacking players before Friday’s setback.
Nigeria will therefore monitor developments closely. Chelle must now wait for more information from Galatasaray before assessing Osimhen’s availability.
The injury could also affect Osimhen’s club commitments. Galatasaray face Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League next week.
His availability for that fixture will depend on the results of his medical assessment. The club has yet to confirm the extent of the injury.
For now, the biggest concern remains the same. Galatasaray and Nigeria are waiting to discover how serious Osimhen’s latest setback is.
A clearer update from the club should determine whether the striker faces a short absence or a longer spell away from action.
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