Galatasaray manager Orkan Buruk is confident striker Victor Osimhen will be fit in time for their UEFA Champions League (UCL) opener against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.
The Nigeria international has been sidelined with an ankle problem picked up during the Super Eagles’ World Cup qualifier against Rwanda earlier this month.
He missed Nigeria’s following game against South Africa and sat out Galatasaray’s Turkish Super League fixture at Eyupspor.
Speaking after Saturday’s victory against Eyupspor, Buruk revealed optimism over the 25-year-old’s condition.
“Osimhen’s condition will be clear in a few days. We think he will play. He has pain, we will see if he can play with it,” Buruk said.
Victor Osimehn down injured in the super Eagles clash with Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. Photo Credit: The Athletic Images
The comments suggest the striker could at least make the bench in Istanbul, easing fears over his absence for the Group Stage opener.
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Osimhen’s potential involvement will be cause for concern in Frankfurt. The forward boasts an impressive record against the Bundesliga side, having scored three goals in two matches for Napoli in the 2022/23 Champions League round of 16 – including a brace at the Stadio Diego Maradona.
Osimhen celebrating at Galatasary.Photo Credit: Getty Images
He first faced Frankfurt as a teenager at Wolfsburg in 2017, but it was with Napoli that he inflicted the most damage, proving a constant threat across both legs.
Buruk will be keen to have his star striker available as the Turkish champions begin their Champions League campaign.
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Osimhen, who joined permanently from Napoli in the summer, has been tipped as a key figure in Galatasaray’s ambitions to progress deep into the competition.
