Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen will miss Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches after scans confirmed a moderate to severe injury to his right adductor muscle.
The Super Eagles forward underwent an MRI scan and further examinations at Ac?badem Hospital, where doctors found bleeding and muscle damage in the groin area, according to BSNSports.com.ng.
Osimhen is expected to be unavailable for between three weeks and one month. That recovery period rules him out of Nigeria’s fixtures against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in September, creating a significant concern for the national side before the start of their qualifying campaign.
Nigeria will host Madagascar on 23 September before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later in their second qualifying match.
The injury also means Osimhen is set to miss three matches for Galatasaray. He is expected to be absent for the club’s UEFA Champions League opener against Sporting CP, as well as Turkish Super Lig games against Kocaelispor and Trabzonspor.
Osimhen was forced off during Galatasaray’s 3-2 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir on Friday night after suffering what initially appeared to be a muscle problem.
The club’s subsequent medical assessment confirmed the extent of the injury, with the right adductor identified as the affected area. The anticipated recovery time will keep the Nigeria international out during a crucial period for both club and country.
For Nigeria, his absence removes one of the team’s main attacking options from the opening two matches of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification schedule. The Super Eagles will now prepare to begin their campaign without the striker, while Galatasaray also face a period without one of their leading forwards.
Osimhen’s injury came shortly before the September international fixtures and after Galatasaray’s domestic win over Istanbul Basaksehir. The Turkish club has not indicated that he will return before the projected three-week minimum recovery period, with his expected absence potentially extending to a month.