By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk has offered a positive update on star striker Victor Osimhen ahead of their UEFA Champions League trip to face Eintracht Frankfurt this week.
Osimhen limped off early during Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against Rwanda, sparking fears of a lengthy layoff.
A medical report from club doctor Yener İnce later confirmed a moderate sprain in the ankle ligaments, accompanied by stretching and bleeding.
Speaking after Gala’s 2–0 Super Lig victory over Eyüpspor, Buruk admitted the Nigerian will likely feature in Germany, though not yet at full fitness.
“Osimhen’s condition will be determined within a few days. We’re hopeful he’ll play. We think he will, but of course, he’s in pain. We’ll see if he can tolerate that pain and play with it,” Buruk explained.
The 25-year-old, Galatasaray’s record signing, has already made a huge impact since arriving in Istanbul and remains central to their European ambitions.
The Turkish champions travel to Frankfurt on Thursday, with Osimhen expected to be named in the squad as Gala aim to make a strong start to their group campaign.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
