Nigeria XI vs Russia – Predicted lineup and team news

In Nigeria's upcoming friendly match against Russia at the Sovcombank Arena on Tuesday, October 6th, the Super Eagles face a challenging situation under head coach Eric Chelle. Nigeria's recent performance has been inconsistent, with a recent 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau and a 2-1 win over Madagascar preceding their friendly against Russia.

Chelle's squad is further complicated by an 18-player limit, as seven players have left the camp due to injuries, travel issues, and clubs refusing to release them. Captain Wilfred Ndidi is currently unavailable due to a knock sustained in their match against Guinea-Bissau, while defender Victory Akpe and goalkeeper Maduka Okoye are also out of contention.

Additionally, several players are blocked by their respective clubs, including Raphael Onyedika from Eintracht Frankfurt, Bright Osayi-Samuel from Birmingham City, Moses Usor from LASK FC, and Ridwan Abdulrasaq Popoola from Al-Wahda. Suleiman Mubarak from Slavia Prague missed the opportunity due to a delayed residence permit. However, forward Kelechi Iheanacho has returned to the camp and is fully fit to play.

The predicted lineup for Nigeria includes Nwabali, James, Fernandez, Benjamin, Igboke, Onyeka, Nwoko, Michael, Simon, Akor, and Iheanacho. The match is scheduled to kick off at 5pm BST on Tuesday, 6th October. Global streaming rights for this friendly have been secured by the digital platform M4STV, allowing viewers worldwide to watch the game through their service.