Victor Osimhen returned to action for the first time in two weeks against Alanyaspor…
Galatasaray coach Orkan Buruk has stated that Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is yet to reach full fitness and had to play through pain in their 1-0 win over Alanyaspor on Friday, Soccernet.ng reports.
After three weeks on the sidelines due to an ankle injury, Osimhen returned to action on Friday, in Galatasaray’s Super Lig game against Alanyaspor at the Gain Park Stadyumu.
The Super Eagles star was introduced as 85th-minute substitute, and helped his side see out a difficult win.
Victor Osimhen during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Amavubi of Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium. Photo by: ImagoxAkpan Nsidibe
After the game, coach Buruk spoke about Osimhen, and he revealed that the Super Eagles was yet to reach full fitness.
“We wanted to play Osimhen for 10 minutes today. We wanted him to experience the pain. Sometimes there’s pain, and playing through pain is important,” Buruk said, per En Son Haber.
“He’s not 100% physically ready. He hasn’t had a team training session since returning from the national team. He played briefly with us yesterday.
“We’ll assess his pain and physical condition before thinking about the next match. Barış might have wanted a winger there when he came off today, but I specifically brought Osimhen on so he could play 10 minutes, have a chance to play the next match, and contribute to us.
“We may have changed our formation and had trouble covering the opposition. However, we’re taking these risks to ensure he plays.”
Will Victor Osimhen Star Against Liverpool?
After the game against Alanyaspor, Galatasaray’s next fixture will be at Rams Park against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.
The Cimbom’s last game in the Champions League was a 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt. But they will be looking to bounce back next week.
Victor Osimhen and Mauro Icardi of Galatasaray (Photo by imago)
However, Victor Osimhen might not play the entire 90 minutes against Reds, if Buruk’s comments are anything to go by.
The Super Eagles star might have to play off the bench in that game, depending on how well he recovers before Tuesday.
Coach Buruk will be hoping that Osimhen regains full fitness for the game.
