Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has included injured striker Victor Osimhen in Nigeria’s squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
Osimhen has been sidelined since September 4 after suffering a right groin injury, raising concerns over his availability for Nigeria’s upcoming qualifiers.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Madagascar on September 25 before taking on Guinea-Bissau four days later.
Osimhen had been expected to make a possible return for Galatasaray in their league clash against Trabzonspor on September 19. However, as of Thursday, the striker was still training separately from the main squad, completing an individual gym session alongside Mario Lemina.
Both players were considered unlikely to feature against Trabzonspor.
The situation means Osimhen could enter Nigeria’s first AFCON qualifier without a competitive appearance since sustaining the injury on September 4.
Chelle has not publicly explained his decision to include the Galatasaray striker in the squad, but the selection suggests the coach is hopeful Osimhen could recover in time to feature at some point during the international window.
If Osimhen is unavailable, Chelle has Tolu Arokodare, Akor Adams and George Ilenikhena as the other centre-forward options in the squad.
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