Osimhen surgery successful — that is the news Galatasaray delivered on Saturday, confirming that Victor Osimhen’s knee operation went well and that the Super Eagles striker will now begin a recovery expected to last around three weeks. The Turkish champions announced the outcome in an official statement on Saturday afternoon, hours after the striker went under the knife at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital in Istanbul.
The operation, carried out by Galatasaray club doctor Yener İnce, was arthroscopic surgery on Osimhen’s left knee after an MRI scan found a loose body in the joint. The 27-year-old strained the knee during Galatasaray’s 2-0 Champions League win over VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday, and the club moved quickly once the scan results came back on Friday.
“Our player Victor Osimhen underwent successful surgery today at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital, performed by our club doctor, Yener İnce,” Galatasaray said in their statement. “Our player’s condition will be monitored through daily assessments, and his treatment will continue under the supervision of our club’s medical team. We wish our player Victor Osimhen a speedy recovery and hope he gets well as soon as possible.”
Osimhen has already been withdrawn from Galatasaray’s squad for Saturday’s Süper Lig meeting with Amedspor at RAMS Park, and he is also expected to miss the trip to Samsunspor after the international break. The club’s target is to have their leading marksman back for the Champions League visit of Aston Villa on 24 November — a date that now frames his entire recovery. With Osimhen surgery successful, the countdown to 24 November can now begin in earnest.
Osimhen surgery successful — but Tanzania is out of reach
For Nigeria, the successful operation brings relief and frustration in equal measure. The three-week timeline rules Osimhen out of the Super Eagles’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania — at home in Uyo on Friday, 13 November, and away in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, 17 November. It is the second blow in a week for head coach Eric Chelle, who has already lost Samuel Chukwueze to hip surgery, while Frank Onyeka remains a major doubt with a groin injury.
Nigeria sit on three points from their opening two Group L games, having beaten Madagascar 2-1 before a shock 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau, and Osimhen missed both of those matches through injury as well. Chelle is expected to finalise his squad for the Tanzania double-header once this weekend’s European club fixtures are done, and the pressure on his remaining attackers has only grown.
The good news for the Super Eagles is that the race for the No. 9 shirt has a form horse in it. Kelechi Iheanacho has been scoring freely for Bursaspor in Turkey, netting his 17th goal of the season earlier this week, and his form in the same league Osimhen dominates makes him a strong candidate to lead the line in Uyo.
What Galatasaray lose without Osimhen
Galatasaray will feel the absence just as keenly. Osimhen has 10 goals and three assists in 11 appearances this season, and he was tied with his compatriot Gift Orban at the top of the Süper Lig scoring charts on nine league goals before the injury. With the Amedspor game already under way and a title race to protect, the champions will lean on their squad depth until their star striker is back.
The signs, at least, are positive. A successful operation, a clear three-week window and a named return date give both club and country something to plan around — and if the Aston Villa target holds, Osimhen could be back in time for the busiest stretch of Galatasaray’s season. For now, the wait begins in Istanbul, and the watching starts in Uyo. With Osimhen surgery successful, both waits now have a date to count down to.
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Photo: Fédération Guinéenne de Football / Wikimedia Commons (public domain) — collage by SportsBuddy
