Victor Osimhen Returns To Galatasaray Training After Injury Setback

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen is edging closer to a full return for Galatasaray after rejoining team training on Sunday, two weeks after suffering an ankle injury while on international duty.

Victor Osimhen, 26, worked through several drills with his teammates at Florya Metin Oktay Facilities and later continued with some light personal routines.

Despite being back on the grass, he was not included in the squad for Galatasaray’s Super Lig meeting with Konyaspor at Rams Park on Monday night.

Osimhen’s injury came on September 6 during Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against Rwanda, when he was forced off in the first half following a challenge from Claude Niyomugabo.

The initial hope was for a quick recovery. Still, the knock proved worse than expected, ruling him out of Galatasaray’s league win over Eyupspor and their humbling 5-1 Champions League defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Head coach Okan Buruk had admitted before the Frankfurt match that the striker was not yet ready to be risked.

“Osimhen’s hurt, you know. He didn’t play in the league game, so we had the hope of at least getting this game up,” Buruk said at the time.

“He tried in practice for the last two days, but the feedback from him is not enough to play right now. That’s what we talked about with our paramedics. The health of our players is very important to us.”

Signed on loan from Napoli in the summer, Osimhen hit the ground running in Turkey, scoring twice in his first three league outings before the international break halted his momentum.

His return is a major lift for the defending champions as they navigate a busy schedule, with a high-profile Champions League clash against Liverpool set for September 30.

Galatasaray are said to be handling his recovery with caution, focusing on long-term fitness rather than short-term gains.