Raphael Onyedika was a surprising omission from Club Brugge's matchday squad for Saturday evening's Jupiler Pro League playoff clash against Sint-Truidense VV.

The Super Eagles star was a regular presence in the heart of midfield during the regular season, making nineteen starts, but has found himself relegated to the bench in recent weeks.

Norway international Hugo Vetlesen has now moved ahead of the Nigerian in manager Ivan Leko's pecking order, with the FC Ebedei product managing just 47 minutes across three matches prior to the visit of STVV.

With Vetlesen unavailable for selection against Sint-Truidense VV, Onyedika had been expected to return to the starting lineup, but that did not materialise.

Ahead of kickoff at the Jan Breydel Stadium, Club Brugge explained on social media that Onyedika was left out of the squad after failing to recover in time for the encounter.

The 25-year-old sustained an injury during Friday's training session, ruling him out of the match.

Club Brugge coach Leko later revealed that the injury is only minor, raising hopes that Onyedika will return to action before the end of the campaign.

The former FC Midtjylland star will enter the final year of his contract with Club Brugge at the end of the season.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel