Victor Osimhen's latest injury raises concerns for Nigeria's AFCON campaign

The Turkish champions announced the development on their official website on Friday evening, revealing that Osimhen injured his left knee during their UEFA Champions League encounter against VfB Stuttgart, All Nigeria Soccer reported.

According to the club's medical update, an MRI scan detected a loose fragment in Osimhen's knee, prompting plans for arthroscopic surgery at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital.

The procedure will be performed by Galatasaray club doctor Yener Ä°nce.

The 27-year-old has consequently been left out of Galatasaray's squad for Saturday's meeting with Amed Sportif Faaliyetler as he prepares for the operation.

Osimhen's latest injury setback comes at an unfortunate time for Nigeria, with head coach Eric Chelle facing uncertainty over the availability of his leading striker for the upcoming international assignments.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Tanzania twice in their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, hosting the East African nation on November 13 before travelling to Dar es Salaam for the return fixture on November 17.

Nigeria currently have three points from their opening two matches, having beaten Madagascar 2-1 before suffering a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Guinea-Bissau. Osimhen missed both encounters due to injury.

With qualification pressure mounting, another absence for the Galatasaray forward would represent a significant blow to Chelle's plans as Nigeria look to strengthen their position in the qualifying campaign.

However, Galatasaray have yet to provide a timeline for Osimhen's recovery or indicate when he could return to competitive action, leaving Nigeria waiting for further clarity ahead of their November fixtures. 

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