Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has a fresh injury concern after striker Salim Fago Lawal was forced off during Viktoria Plzeň’s victory over Hradec Králové.
The 23-year-old started the match at the Malšovická Aréna as Plzeň travelled to face Hradec Králové in the Czech top flight.
The visitors entered the fixture as clear favourites and eventually underlined their superiority with a convincing 3–0 win.
Lawal. Photo Credit: Imago
Plzeň dominated the early exchanges but had to wait until the 44th minute to make the breakthrough. Lawal provided the moment of quality, showing pace to chase down a long through-ball before calmly lobbing the advancing goalkeeper from outside the area.
Additional goals from Cheick Souaré and Tomáš Ladra secured a comfortable victory for the former Czech champions.
However, the afternoon ended on a worrying note for the Nigerian forward.
Salim fago at AFCON 2025. Photo Credit: Imago
Lawal was substituted in the 63rd minute after appearing to struggle with an injury, though the exact nature and severity of the problem has not yet been confirmed.
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The setback could prove frustrating for the striker, whose reputation has grown significantly since joining Plzeň from NK Istra 1961.
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Lawal recently broke into Nigeria’s senior squad and was part of the team that finished third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
