Galatasaray President Confirms Victor Osimhen’s Return Date After Injury With Super Eagles
- Galatasaray president Dursun Ozbek has confirmed when Victor Osimhen will return from injury sustained on international duty
- The Super Eagles forward has missed two matches for the Turkish champions, including the Champions League loss to Royal USG
- It was the second time their record-breaking €75 million striker had returned from international duty with an injury this season
Galatasaray President Dursun Ozbek has confirmed when Victor Osimhen will return to action from the injury he suffered on international duty.
Eric Chelle substituted Osimhen at half-time of Nigeria’s match with DR Congo in the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off final.
Source: Getty Images
The striker returned to Galatasaray, where the club assessed him and confirmed he suffered a moderate strain with bleeding in his left hind muscle.
The club did not put a timeline on his recovery, but the striker has missed two matches, including the 3-2 league win over Genclerbirligi and the 1-0 Champions League loss to Royal USG.
Fans and media alike raised concerns about the club’s dependence on Osimhen after their loss to the Belgian club, their second loss in the Champions League.
There were also concerns about how long the striker would be out for and if he would be fit to join the Nigerian national team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations starting on December 21.
FIFA orders clubs to release players on December 8, but Galatasaray and other top clubs might want to negotiate for extra days for their players.
Dursun Ozbek confirms Osimhen’s return
Galatasaray President Dursun Ozbek has confirmed Victor Osimhen’s return from injury ahead of the Istanbul derby against Fenerbahce on December 1.
Ozbek addressed fans’ fears about the team’s performance without the Nigerian and promised that the team will perform at the highest level against their fiercest rivals.
Source: Getty Images
“Our fans should not worry. Galatasaray will perform at the highest level on the field in the derby. Our players returning from injury will also be in the squad. I hope this will be a great match, and I hope Galatasaray will be the winner,” he told Ekol TV, as quoted by Sporx.
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Comparing Galatasaray’s results with and without Victor Osimhen after UCL loss to Royal USG
The 76-year-old added that Osimhen is expected to be in the squad based on their discussions, which will boost their chances of winning.
“Our players returning from injury will be in the squad for the Fenerbahçe derby. Osimhen should be in the squad on Monday, and he probably will be. That's the goal in our discussions so far,” he concluded.
Osimhen was not pictured in Galatasaray's training pictures uploaded on their Instagram page, despite the president's confirmation of his return.
The Super Eagles forward is reportedly the one pushing to be on the field against Fenerbahce, as he does not want to be absent in the huge match.
Galatasaray’s results with and without Osimhen
Legit.ng analysed Galatasaray’s results with and without Victor Osimhen after their UEFA Champions League group stage loss to Royal USG.
The Turkish Super League champions have lost the two Champions League matches he has missed, while they won the three he played in.
Source: Legit.ng
