Galatasaray Explains Why Victor Osimhen Will Miss Turkish Cup Clash vs Alanyaspor
- Galatasaray has explained why Victor Osimhen and others will miss the Turkish Cup clash against Alanyaspor
- Head coach Okan Buruk omitted Victor Osimhen and other top stars from the travelling squad to Alanya
- The Turkish champions defeated the same opponent 3-1 in the Turkish Super Lig in Istanbul on Saturday
Galatasaray has given reasons why Victor Osimhen and other top stars will miss the Turkish Cup clash against Alanyaspor on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Galatasaray defeated Alanyaspor 3-1 in a Turkish Super Lig game at Rams Park in Istanbul on Saturday, and are set to face the same opponent in the cup.
Source: Getty Images
Victor Osimhen scored and assisted during the match to continue his impressive run of five goals and five assists in the last six games, as noted by Transfermarkt.
Sacha Boey and Lucas Torreira were the other goal scorers for Galatasaray, while Benin striker Steve Mounie scored for the away side.
Galatasaray explains Osimhen’s absence
Galatasaray announced their travelling squad to Alanya for the Ziraat Turkish Cup against Alanyaspor and left out some top stars, including Victor Osimhen.
Other top stars excluded are goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır, centre-backs Davinson Sánchez, Abdülkerim Bardakçı, and attackers Mario Lemina and Mauro Icardi, amongst others.
Osimhen has yet to feature in the cup this season, having missed the matches against Başakşehir, Fethiyespor and İstanbulspor while he was away at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The club published a statement on its official X page explaining why the players were left out, and it borders on managing their fitness ahead of crucial matches.
“Uğurcan Çakır, Davinson Sanchez, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Victor Osimhen, and Mario Lemina have been placed on individualised programs for active recovery and will not be included in the matchday squad,” the statement reads.
“Additionally, Roland Sallai, Yunus Akgün, and Mauro Icardi have been excluded from the travelling squad as a precaution due to minor discomfort.”
All the listed players took part in the training on Sunday and Monday before head coach Okan Buruk made the decision to exclude them from the squad.
Source: Twitter
Galatasaray have a run of four difficult matches after the cup clash against Alanyaspor, and it is important to keep the key players in healthy conditions for the crucial matches.
The Turkish champions will clash with Besiktas in an Istanbul derby at the Tupras Stadium on Saturday before facing Liverpool in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
After Liverpool’s first leg clash in Turkey is another Istanbul derby away against Istanbul Basaksehir before travelling to Anfield for the Champions League Round of 16 second leg match.
Osimhen clarifies his Galatasaray future
Legit.ng reported that Victor Osimhen clarified his future at Galatasaray after recent reports that he is unhappy and wants to leave the club due to an alleged owed salaries.
The Super Eagles striker debunked these reports and said that not celebrating his goal against Juventus was an emotional response to a personal concern.
Source: Legit.ng
