Galatasaray are sweating over the fitness of Victor Osimhen after the Nigerian striker missed their Champions League opener against Eintracht Frankfurt, a game that ended in a bruising 5-1 defeat for the Turkish champions.
Osimhen picked up the injury during Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against Rwanda on September 6, when he was forced off after just 35 minutes following a heavy challenge from Claude Niyomugabo.
The knock sidelined him in training for several days, and although there was initial hope of a quick return, manager Okan Buruk revealed the striker simply wasn’t ready in time for Thursday’s clash.
“Osimhen’s hurt, you know. We didn’t play in the league game, so we had the hope of at least getting this game up,” Buruk said. “He tried in practice for the last two days, but the feedback from him is not enough to play right now. That’s what we talked about with our paramedics. The health of our players is very important to us.”
The decision proved costly as Frankfurt punished a makeshift Galatasaray frontline. Despite conceding early, the Bundesliga side ran riot with goals from Can Uzun, Jonathan Burkardt twice, Ansgar Knauff and a Davinson Sanchez own goal, turning the night into one to forget for the visitors.
“Osimhen is also an actor in this character. We didn’t put him on the roster with his feedback, but of course, we have very important players,” Coach Buruk explained.
Signed for a record €75 million from Napoli this summer, Osimhen is seen as central to Galatasaray’s domestic and European ambitions. The 26-year-old striker scored an astonishing 37 goals in 41 matches last season and has already found the net twice in three Super Lig games this term.
Galatasaray now face the challenge of lifting themselves quickly, with Konyaspor awaiting them in league action on Monday.
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