Osimhen nears Galatasaray injury return

Victor Osimhen, the forward for Super Eagles, is making progress in his return to Galatasaray following a muscle injury. The Nigerian striker has been undergoing rehabilitation in his home country, with Galatasaray planning a cautious comeback match against Kasımpaşa. Osimhen, who was initially included in Eric Chelle's squad for Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers but withdrew due to slower-than-expected recovery, could feature in the Galatasaray vs Kasımpaşa game on October 9.

Manager Okan Buruk, however, does not intend to start Osimhen immediately, with the 27-year-old expected to play for around 30 minutes depending on the match's progression. This approach aims to gauge Osimhen's readiness for competition and gradually build his playing time, allowing for a four-day recovery period before Galatasaray faces Barcelona in the Champions League on October 13.

Osimhen's injury began during Galatasaray's September 4 match against İstanbul Başakşehir, where he suffered a right groin strain with bleeding in the adductor muscle group, sidelining him from subsequent games including Galatasaray's own Champions League opener and Süper League matches. Despite this setback, the former Napoli player had scored six goals and provided two assists in his first four Süper league appearances before his injury.