Super Eagles: How Eric Chelle Could Line Up vs Tanzania With Osimhen and Lookman Injuries
- Ademola Lookman suffered a knee strain in the first leg against Tanzania and will miss the second leg, returning immediately to Spain
- Lookman's absence adds to the problem of Victor Osimhen already being out, leaving Nigeria without two of their most important attackers
- Eric Chelle faces a tactical puzzle ahead of the second leg in Zanzibar, with several formation options still on the table
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Eric Chelle received bad news after the confirmation that Ademola Lookman will miss the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers second-leg clash vs Tanzania.
The Atletico Madrid forward was substituted at the end of the first half in the first leg against the same opponent after going down on the pitch unchallenged.
Source: Twitter
Lookman had attempted a shot earlier off his left foot, and his reaction afterwards immediately pointed to a problem, but he went on for a few more minutes.
The results of his scan confirmed that he suffered a strain in his knee, and though the extent of the injury is unknown, he will miss the second leg and immediately return to Spain.
The injury has come at a bad time for the forward, who is struggling at Atletico Madrid, having been limited to half-time substitutions this season, but it is not only a personal issue.
His injury adds to the existing problem in the squad, which was the absence of Victor Osimhen for the consecutive window due to injury.
Osimhen sat out the September-October international break after failing to recover from a groin injury he suffered more than a month earlier.
The Galatasaray forward injured his knee during the UEFA Champions League group-stage match against VfB Stuttgart before the break.
Chelle deployed four midfielders and pushed Lookman to join Akor Adams in the strike role, a similar role he has played for Atletico this season.
However, with Lookman also out, Chelle would be forced to either revise his formation or simply do a like-for-like replacement with personnel.
Legit.ng looks at how the Franco-Malian manager could deal with the absence of his two best players.
How Chelle could line up vs Tanzania
The Super Eagles secured a 3-1 victory over Tanzania in Uyo to keep their qualification campaign on track, but the job is not done with the second leg in Zanzibar on Tuesday.
Stanley Nwabali is expected to keep his place in goal, while Benjamin Fredrick is the only player who had a shaky performance and could lose his place to the in-form and more experienced Semi Ajayi.
Abdullahi Bewene is expected to continue at right-back, keeping Ola Aina on the left side, while Calvin Bassey will continue to marshal the defence.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi, who assisted Arokodare's first goal, Alhassan Yusuf, who scored the opener and Alex Iwobi are also expected to keep their places.
The big question for Eric Chelle will be the final three players, which is where he could decide to add Tochukwu Nnadi to the midfield or make it a three-man attack.
If Nnadi joins the midfield, the manager could pair Arokodare, who has earned his spot alongside Akor Adams in attack, playing with two strikers.
Chelle praised Akor Adams for his performance in the first leg despite not scoring, which suggests he will start again, alongside match-winner Arokodare.
However, the manager could prefer another super sub role for the Ajax loanee, which could bring Taiwo Awoniyi to pair Adams in the early proceedings.
Moses Usor came off the bench to provide the assist for Arokodare's second goal, while Moses Simon held his ground during his 45-minute outing.
The two could force Chelle into deploying two wingers to flank the striker in the second leg. This is where Akor Adams could sacrifice his spot, as he is not an aerial threat and both wingers will want to put in crosses.
If the manager opts for two crossers as wingers, Arokodare and Awoniyi, both of whom are aerial threats, will be his preferred options.
Regardless, the psychological edge of having the duo of Osimhen and Lookman will be missing, but the available players are enough to secure the win over the Taifa Stars.
Tanzania coach praises Nigeria’s quality
Legit.ng previously reported that Miguel Gamondi praised Nigeria’s individual quality and being clinical in front of goal as the difference.
The Tanzania head coach admitted that Super Eagles players who came off the bench made the difference and won the game for Nigeria.
Source: Legit.ng
