Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen arrived in Istanbul on Sunday night ahead of a scheduled scan on the arm injury he sustained last Wednesday during their UEFA Champions League clash against Liverpool at Anfield.
Osimhen is expected to undergo further medical examinations on Monday (today) to determine whether surgery will be required.
According to Turkish outlet Forza Cimbom, “Victor Osimhen is arriving in Istanbul tonight (Sunday). Following tomorrow’s (Monday’s) check-up, planning for surgery will be on the agenda depending on the fracture’s condition.”
Galatasaray are sweating over the fitness of the star striker, who could miss between three to five months of action after he was forced off with the injury against Liverpool.
Osimhen was brought down following a challenge from Ibrahima Konaté in the first half, with the club later confirming that the Nigerian fractured his arm in the incident.
After the match, Galatasaray provided an update on Osimhen’s condition, stating that a decision will be made on whether the 27-year-old will undergo surgery.
“In the first half of our away match against Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16 second leg, our player Victor Osimhen took a blow to his arm and completed the first half, but following checks at half-time, he was not played in the second half due to the risk of a fracture in his arm,” the club said in a statement.
“After the match, under the supervision of our medical team, examinations at the hospital revealed a fracture in our player’s right forearm, and it was cast. A decision regarding surgery will be made in the coming days following further evaluations.”
The 27-year-old had earlier spent some time in Nigeria, where he made public appearances with his arm in a cast.
It remains to be seen whether the striker will opt for surgery, with a possible recovery timeline of between three to five months.
Despite their Champions League exit, Galatasaray will still be relying on Osimhen’s attacking prowess in their pursuit of the Super Lig and domestic cup titles.
He has scored 19 goals and provided seven assists in 29 appearances across all competitions this season, helping the club to a four-point lead in the league.
He also recorded seven goals and three assists in 10 UEFA Champions League matches before their exit.
Turkish journalist Ali Naci Küçük reports that the situation is being closely monitored, with a possibility of an early return depending on recovery progress.
“The fracture healing with the cast is the hoped-for best-case scenario. The issue of Osimhen’s surgery will be evaluated next week.”
Osimhen has been left out of Nigeria’s 23-man squad for this month’s friendly matches against Jordan and Iran, scheduled to be played in Turkey.
