Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is expected to undergo surgery on his left knee on Saturday after sustaining an injury during Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League match against VfB Stuttgart, ruling him out of Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Tanzania, Nigeriasoccernet.com can report.
The 27-year-old completed the full 90 minutes of Galatasaray’s 2-0 victory over the Bundesliga club on Tuesday, despite picking up the injury during the encounter.
Subsequent medical examinations, including an MRI scan, reportedly revealed a loose body in his left knee, prompting the Turkish champions to schedule an operation for Saturday.
Galatasaray confirmed the development in a statement released on Friday and disclosed that the Nigerian forward would also miss their forthcoming league fixture against Amed SK.
The club said: “In the UEFA Champions League match we played against VfB Stuttgart, our player Victor Osimhen sustained a strain in his left knee, and MRI examinations detected a loose body.”
Osimhen’s absence will be a significant blow to Nigeria ahead of their two meetings with Tanzania in the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to host the Taifa Stars in Uyo on November 13 before travelling to Dar es Salaam for the return fixture on November 17.
The injury means Nigeria will have to consider alternative attacking options for both encounters, with the national team missing one of its most influential forwards.
Attention will now turn to Osimhen’s recovery and the outcome of Saturday’s surgery, as the Super Eagles hope the striker can return to full fitness without further complications.