Galatasaray have confirmed that Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen requires arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The Turkish side revealed that the Nigerian forward strained the joint during their Champions League clash against VfB Stuttgart, with an MRI scan later detecting a loose fragment.
The procedure was set for Saturday at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital, supervised by club doctor Yener İnce. Because of the medical intervention, Osimhen was left out of the Galatasaray squad scheduled to play against Amed in their domestic league.
His layoff is expected to last around three weeks, according to a TRT Spor report cited by Hürriyet. The team is eyeing the Champions League encounter against Aston Villa on 24 November for his potential return to action.
The setback comes during a prolific campaign for the forward, who has recorded 10 goals and three assists in 11 matches for Galatasaray this season. However, his three-week recovery timeline means he is set to miss crucial upcoming action for Nigeria.
The Super Eagles currently sit on three points after two matches in Group L, trailing group leaders Guinea-Bissau, who hold six points. With crucial qualifiers approaching, including a clash against Tanzania, head coach Eric Chelle must now rethink his forward options.
Osimhen's absence has blown the race wide open for Nigeria's number nine shirt. While players like Gift Orban, Tolu Arokodare, Terem Moffi, and George Ilenikhena remain under consideration, Kelechi Iheanacho has emerged as a serious option following a brilliant scoring run in Turkey.
Playing for Bursaspor, Iheanacho delivered five goals in October alone, which included a brace against Muğlaspor. Although his remarkable streak of scoring in 12 straight league matches was halted on 31 October against Bandırmaspor, his domestic form and deep national team experience provide a compelling case.
With Tanzania set for an early arrival in Uyo ahead of the international fixture, the pressure will be on Chelle to settle quickly on who spearheads Nigeria's attack once the official squad list is released.
