Since losing their star striker, Victor Osimhen, to an arm injury in March, Turkish Super Lig leaders Galatasaray have missed the chance to go seven points clear at the top of the table, underlining the Nigerian’s importance to their title charge.
Osimhen has been sidelined since March 18 after sustaining the injury against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League play-off before the international break.
The 27-year-old has missed three league matches since then, and the team’s struggles in his absence are becoming clear. They have managed just one win in those games, picking up only four points from a possible nine. As a result, they sit on 68 points, just two ahead of closest rivals Fenerbahçe on 66, while Trabzonspor remain in contention with 64 points.
Across the season, Osimhen has missed 11 matches in both the league and the Champions League due to injuries. In those games, Galatasaray have recorded five wins, two draws, and four losses, dropping a total of 16 points without their talisman.
His latest absence is raising concerns about the club’s title ambitions, with fans urging coach Okan Buruk to bring him back into the squad as soon as possible. The Nigerian resumed non-contact training last week and could return for their trip to Gençlerbirliği this weekend. He is also expected to be fully fit for next week’s derby against Fenerbahçe.
Following a 1-1 home draw against Kocaelispor on Sunday, Buruk spoke about Osimhen’s situation.
“Osimhen has started training. He will be in the squad for the weekend. Nothing has changed in my mind. We dropped points, we lost an advantage, but we never lost confidence in ourselves. I trust myself, my players, and our fans. We will celebrate the championship together,” he said.
“We hope Victor Osimhen will be in the squad for the Gençlerbirliği match.”
Osimhen was present in the stands on Sunday but did not take part in Monday’s training session. With the team resting on Tuesday, he is expected to return to full training on Wednesday.
Since joining Galatasaray on a permanent deal for €75m last summer, Osimhen has made a strong impact, scoring 12 goals and providing four assists in 19 league appearances, along with seven goals in the Champions League. He trails Mauro Icardi, who leads the team’s scoring chart with 13 goals in 27 matches.
If he returns this weekend, Osimhen will rejoin the title run-in with five games left to play.
