Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is set to undergo surgery for a knee injury, ruling him out of Galatasaray’s Turkish Super Lig fixture this weekend and Nigeria’s crucial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying double-header against Tanzania.
The 27-year-old sustained an injury to his left knee during Galatasaray’s 2-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Despite the injury, Osimhen played the full 90 minutes of the encounter, helping the Turkish champions secure their second victory in the competition this season.
In a statement, Galatasaray confirmed that medical examinations revealed a loose body in the striker’s left knee, prompting the decision to carry out arthroscopic surgery.
The procedure is scheduled to take place on Saturday at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital in Istanbul and will be performed by the club’s doctor, Yener İnce.
The club also confirmed that Osimhen had been withdrawn from the squad for its upcoming match against Amed Sportif Faaliyetler.
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.
“The surgery will be performed by our club doctor Yener İnce. Our player has therefore been removed from the squad for tomorrow’s match against Amed S. F.”
Osimhen’s latest setback is a major concern for Nigeria ahead of the Super Eagles’ AFCON qualifying matches against Tanzania on 13 and 17 November.
The injury means the striker will miss another international window after withdrawing from Nigeria’s October fixtures due to a groin problem.
