Osimhen Faces Injury Setback as Galatasaray Confirms Surgery

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen underwent another surgery after Galatasaray confirmed that he had an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee, raising doubts about his availability for Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Tanzania. The Turkish champions announced on Friday that Osimhen sustained a strain in his left knee during their UEFA Champions League encounter against VfB Stuttgart. An MRI examination subsequently revealed a loose body in the affected knee, prompting the club to schedule surgery for Saturday at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital. In a statement, Galatasaray said the procedure would be performed by the club's doctor, Yener İnce. The club also confirmed that Osimhen had been withdrawn from the squad for Saturday’s domestic fixture against Amed Sportif Faaliyetler.

This injury setback poses significant challenges for Nigeria as they prepare for a double-header against Tanzania in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. The Super Eagles will host the Taifa Stars in Uyo on 13 November before traveling to Tanzania for the return fixture on 17 November. Osimhen’s expected absence would be another major blow to head coach Éric Chelle, who has had to manage the team’s attack without the Galatasaray forward in previous occasions. The 27-year-old also missed Nigeria’s opening two qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in September after struggling to recover from a muscle injury sustained during Galatasaray’s 3-2 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir on 4 September. He was initially named in Chelle’s squad for those matches but was subsequently withdrawn after his recovery took longer than expected.

Galatasaray disclosed that medical examinations revealed a moderate-to-advanced strain with bleeding in Osimhen's right adductor muscle group. This latest injury, involving the left knee, presents yet another fitness challenge for the striker, although Galatasaray has yet to provide a recovery timeline following the planned operation. Nigeria is in Group L alongside Tanzania, Madagascar, and Guinea-Bissau. Tanzania, as one of the tournament’s co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda, has already secured automatic qualification for the 2027 finals, leaving the other three countries to contest the remaining qualifying place.