Osimhen Injury: Galatasaray pitch blamed as Nigeria’s striker goes under the knife

Galatasaray said an MRI found a loose fragment in his knee and he underwent arthroscopic surgery.

Videos showed Osimhen complaining about the Rams Park surface during the match, and footage of him slipping has reignited criticism of the pitch.

However, there is no official confirmation that the pitch directly caused the injury

Victor Osimhen has been ruled out of Nigeria’s decisive AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Tanzania after suffering a knee injury during Galatasaray’s Champions League win over Stuttgart.

The Super Eagles striker picked up the problem in Galatasaray’s 2-0 victory at Rams Park on Tuesday night. Galatasaray later confirmed that an MRI scan detected a loose fragment in his left knee, with the Nigeria international undergoing arthroscopic surgery.

Victor Osimhen picked up the injury in the UCL. Osimhen had been seen complaining about the state of the Rams Park pitch during the game. Cameras captured the striker approaching the Galatasaray bench, while coach Okan Buruk also criticised the surface after the match, saying it made life difficult for both teams.

Footage has since emerged showing Osimhen slipping as he tried to launch a counter-attack. His foot appeared to get caught in the turf before he went down, sparking anger among Galatasaray supporters who blame the club for the condition of the pitch.

One furious fan wrote: “If you’ve shelled out 80 million euros in transfer fees and 20 million euros in wages for Victor Osimhen, and he’s getting injured because of this disgraceful pitch, yet you’re still sitting in that chair as the executive responsible for the stadium, then you’ve got a major character flaw.”

80 milyon Euro bonservis ödeyip 20 milyon Euro maaş verdiğin Viktor Osimhen bu REZALET ZEMİN yüzünden sakatlık geçiriyorsa ve sen hâlâ stadyumdan sorumlu yönetici olarak hâlâ o koltukta oturuyorsan büyük karakter sorunun var demektir. Her sezon tanesi 1 milyon Euro’dan iki kere çim değiştirilir. Üç sezonda bir 3-4 milyon Euro verilip drenaj sistemi yenilenir. Soruyorum! Bu paralar Galatasaray’ın kasasından çıkıyor ama kimin cebine giriyor açıklanmalı, tartışılmalı!

The fan added that the turf is replaced twice every season at a cost of around €1 million each time, while €3-4 million is spent every three seasons to renew the drainage system.

Another supporter demanded immediate action: “The moment Victor Osimhen’s knee buckled. First Baris Alper Yilmaz gets his foot caught in the ground and protests, then Osimhen. Whoever is responsible must resign immediately without wasting any time.”

Galatasaray have not confirmed that the pitch caused Osimhen’s injury. Reports in Turkey say there is no definitive finding linking the surface directly to the knee problem, although the club has launched work to address the pitch concerns.

The injury is a major blow for Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle ahead of the double-header against Tanzania. The Super Eagles host Tanzania on November 13 before travelling to Dar es Salaam for the return fixture on November 17.

Victor Osimhen’in dizinin esnediği pozisyon. Önce Barış Alper Yılmaz zemine takılıp isyan ediyor ardından ise Osimhen. Bu sorumlular kimse hiç vakit kaybetmeden derhal istifa etmelidir. https://t.co/7jWKdAm33j

Osimhen’s absence leaves Nigeria without their most reliable goalscorer at a crucial stage of qualifying, with Galatasaray yet to announce how long the striker will be sidelined.