Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has been ruled out of the Turkish club’s UEFA Champions League opener against Sporting CP and is also expected to miss Nigeria’s first two qualifying matches for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a groin injury.
According to ESPN, the 27-year-old could be sidelined for between two and three weeks after scans revealed an advanced-moderate strain accompanied by bleeding in his right adductor muscle group.
Osimhen sustained the injury during Galatasaray’s 3-2 Super Lig win over İstanbul Başakşehir on Friday. He opened the scoring in the encounter but was forced off in the 33rd minute.
The Turkish champions later confirmed that an MRI scan and further examinations revealed the extent of the injury, with the striker now undergoing treatment.
“Following the completion of MR and advanced examinations at our sponsor Acıbadem Hospital, advanced-moderate level strain (bleeding and strain) has been detected in the right adductor (groin) muscle group of our footballer Victor Osimhen,” Galatasaray said in a post on X.
The injury effectively rules Osimhen out of Wednesday’s Champions League league-phase opener against Sporting CP.
It also represents a setback for the Super Eagles, with the striker expected to miss Nigeria’s opening 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar on September 25 and Guinea-Bissau four days later.
Galatasaray are optimistic that Osimhen will return after the international break and could be available for their second Champions League league-phase fixture against Barcelona on October 13 in Istanbul.
Before the injury, Osimhen had enjoyed an impressive start to the season, scoring six goals and registering two assists in four Super Lig appearances.
His latest strike came in the 16th minute against Başakşehir, but he was unable to continue 17 minutes later and was replaced by Barış Alper Yılmaz.
Galatasaray eventually sealed a 3-2 victory through Gabriel Sara’s 90th-minute goal after surrendering their lead twice during the match.
Osimhen’s absence comes at a crucial period for both club and country, with Galatasaray beginning their Champions League campaign and Nigeria preparing for the start of its AFCON qualifying campaign.
The striker’s injury concerns have also been compounded by the fitness situation involving fellow Super Eagles forward Paul Onuachu, who was forced off during Trabzonspor’s 5-0 victory over Gençlerbirliği.
Osimhen’s absence could further delay his pursuit of Rashidi Yekini’s Nigeria goalscoring record. The Galatasaray striker is now just two goals away from equalling Yekini’s 37-goal mark, having scored eight goals in seven appearances for the Super Eagles in 2026.
His most recent goal for Nigeria came during the Super Eagles’ 2-0 victory over Algeria in the AFCON quarter-final in January.