Osimhen sustains knee injury, to miss Nigeria’s AFCON qualifiers

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is set to undergo knee surgery after sustaining an injury during Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League clash against VfB Stuttgart.

The Turkish champions confirmed on Friday that the Nigerian forward suffered a strain in his left knee, with an MRI scan revealing a loose body in the affected area.

In a statement, Galatasaray said Osimhen would undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on Saturday at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital under the supervision of the club’s doctor, Yener İnce.

The statement read: “Our player Victor Osimhen, who suffered a strain in his left knee during our UEFA Champions League match against VfB Stuttgart and was found to have a loose body in MRI scans, is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery tomorrow at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital, performed by our club doctor Yener İnce.”

The club also confirmed that the 26-year-old had been withdrawn from the squad for its next fixture against Amed S. F.

Osimhen’s injury is a major setback for Nigeria, with the striker now expected to miss the Super Eagles’ Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Tanzania on November 13 and 17.

His absence would leave Nigeria without one of its most influential attacking players as the national team prepares for the upcoming international fixtures.

The Super Eagles will hope for a successful operation and a quick recovery for the Galatasaray forward, although the club is yet to announce an expected return date.