Galatasaray Coach Reacts as Osimhen Is Set to Miss Champions League Clash vs Sporting
- Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk spoke ahead of the club's UEFA Champions League trip to Sporting Lisbon in Portugal
- Victor Osimhen and Mario Lemina will both miss the match due to muscle injuries, leaving Buruk short of key players
- Buruk addressed reports about captain Abdülkerim Bardakcı's fitness ahead of the crucial European fixture
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Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has backed his squad to deliver a positive result against Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Champions League, even as the Turkish club heads to Portugal without two of its most important players.
This is the second consecutive season Galatasaray have featured in the Champions League. Last season, the Istanbul club impressed on the European stage by reaching the Round of 16, and the team will be eager to at least match that performance this time around.
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The match against Sporting Lisbon represents an early test of whether Buruk's side can manage the demands of European football despite their current injury situation.
Okan Buruk speaks ahead of UCL clash
Victor Osimhen and Mario Lemina are both sidelined with muscle injuries and will not feature in the match. Despite the absences, Buruk said he has no doubts about the ability of those available to him.
“We are a good team; we have good players. If we have shortcomings, they are significant shortcomings, but I always say this: we will field 11 players, and we will have players coming off the bench,” he told GS TV.
“That's why I have great confidence in my players, as always. Tomorrow we will go out there and do everything we can to win the match.”
Ahead of the trip to Lisbon, reports had surfaced suggesting that club captain Abdülkerim Bardakcı was also carrying an injury. Buruk moved quickly to dismiss those claims, confirming that Bardakcı is fit and available to play.
According to TRT Spor, the coach's clarification came as a relief to the squad's preparations, with Galatasaray already stretched thin in terms of personnel for the fixture.
Buruk identifies Osimhen replacement
Legit.ng previously reported that Okan Buruk identified Baris Alper Yilmaz as the replacement for Victor Osimhen after the striker’s injury.
The Turkish international has played in the number nine position in the past and will deputise in the absence of the Super Eagles forward.
Source: Legit.ng
