Okan Buruk has explained why Victor Osimhen was left out of Galatasaray’s squad for their clash against Gençlerbirli?i in the Turkish Süper Lig, writes Nigeriasoccernet.com.
Osimhen, who travelled with the team for the fixture, was ultimately not included in the matchday squad, a decision that initially raised concern among supporters.
Speaking after the game, Buruk revealed that the omission was purely precautionary due to fatigue observed during training sessions.
“Osimhen took part in certain parts of training. After those sessions, he experienced some fatigue,” Buruk was quoted by Sporx.
The Galatasaray coach further explained that the decision was made jointly with the medical department to avoid any risk of worsening the striker’s condition.
“Coach Yener, Osimhen, and I spoke about it. We didn’t find it appropriate for him to be in the squad this week,” he added.
Buruk, however, expressed confidence that the Nigerian forward will return soon, with a possible appearance in the next cup fixture before a crucial league showdown against rivals Fenerbahçe.
“We can look ahead to the next cup match and see how many minutes he can play. Of course, he will be able to play in the Fenerbahçe match,” he concluded.
Osimhen’s fitness will continue to be closely monitored as Galatasaray enters a decisive phase of their domestic campaign.