Victor Osimhen has received an encouraging injury update from Galatasaray, with coach Okan Buruk hopeful that the Super Eagles striker can return against Trabzonspor this weekend after missing the club’s last two matches with a groin problem, Footynaija.com reports.
The timing could hardly be better for Galatasaray, who have had to manage without their most important attacking outlet since Osimhen was forced off against Istanbul Basaksehir earlier this month.
Osimhen had already made his mark in that game, scoring Galatasaray’s opening goal in the 16th minute of the 3-2 victory. But the Nigerian felt discomfort in his right adductor and left the pitch in the 33rd minute.
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Medical examinations later confirmed an advanced-moderate strain with bleeding in the right adductor muscle group. Galatasaray began treatment immediately, ruling him out of the Champions League defeat to Sporting CP and the 1-0 league victory over Kocaelispor.
That absence has shown just how much Buruk wants his main striker back. Galatasaray managed to beat Kocaelispor and reclaim top spot, but Buruk admitted after the match that Osimhen’s presence gives his team something different, both in front of goal and psychologically.
Buruk opens door for Osimhen return
The Galatasaray coach has now offered the clearest indication yet that Osimhen could be back for Saturday’s meeting with Trabzonspor at Papara Park.
“Osimhen and Lemina are still undergoing treatment. We would like to get them ready for the Trabzonspor match, but we need to see their progress,” Buruk said.
The coach also made it clear that Galatasaray will not rush the Nigerian back.
“If their pain continues and their final checks are negative, we will not use them,” he added, while pointing out that the club still has five to six days to assess their condition.
That makes the Trabzonspor fixture an important test of Osimhen’s recovery rather than a guaranteed comeback.
For Nigeria, though, even the possibility of seeing him back on the pitch is welcome news.
The 27-year-old is expected to miss Super Eagles’ opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after the injury, meaning he will miss the September 25 meeting with Madagascar and the September 29 trip to Guinea-Bissau.
The striker’s recovery will be followed closely in Nigeria even though he cannot feature in the September qualifiers.
A successful return against Trabzonspor would give Osimhen valuable competitive minutes before the next international window and, more importantly, show that the groin problem is behind him.
