Victor Osimhen has reportedly travelled to Nigeria after sustaining a serious injury during the first half of Galatasaray’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16 at Anfield on Wednesday.

The Nigeria international collided early with Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konaté but played through the pain barrier for the entirety of the first half, and was later diagnosed with a fractured right forearm.

According to Turkish sports daily Fanatik, Osimhen, whose arm is now in a cast, will wait for the swelling to subside before deciding on surgery.

If he goes under the knife, he is expected to be sidelined for around one and a half months.

This could see him miss key Super Lig matches against Trabzonspor, Kocaelispor and Gençlerbirliği S.K., while leaving him in a race against time to be fit for the blockbuster clash with Fenerbahçe on April 26.

Osimhen was notably absent from the Super Eagles squad for their upcoming friendlies against Iran and Jordan in Antalya, Turkey.

His trip to Nigeria during the international break had been planned even before the injury occurred and the squad announcement.

The former African Footballer of the Year has struggled with fitness issues this season, missing seven matches across the Super Lig and UEFA Champions League.

Despite these setbacks and national team commitments, Osimhen has been directly involved in 26 goals this season, registering 19 goals and seven assists.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel