The Victor Osimhen injury saga has taken an awkward new turn in Istanbul, after a Galatasaray vice-president called the striker’s knee problem “chronic” — then apologised within hours and admitted he had used the wrong word. Mehmet Cibara made the remark at the club’s November Council Board meeting on Wednesday, before correcting himself the same day and insisting the Super Eagles star is “not chronically ill”.
Speaking about Osimhen’s condition, Cibara first dismissed suggestions that the injury had anything to do with events away from the pitch. Footy Naija reports that he told the meeting, per GZT Zpor: “There’s no such thing as injuries happening off the court. It has nothing to do with it. Leao’s injury is completely different, Osimhen’s injury is chronic.”
Osimhen chronic injury: what Cibara actually said
The word “chronic” set alarm bells ringing among Galatasaray supporters. Osimhen, 27, is recovering from knee surgery after picking up the injury during the club’s 2-0 Champions League win over VfB Stuttgart, and the idea that the problem was a long-term one — rather than a one-off knock — would change the whole picture of his absence.
Cibara also used the meeting to push back on suggestions that Galatasaray’s playing surface was behind the club’s recent injury problems, insisting Osimhen’s situation was different from team-mate Rafael Leao’s hamstring injury. He declined to say more while the international break was ongoing.
Osimhen chronic injury: the correction that followed
The backtrack came quickly. SportsNow reports that Cibara apologised and admitted he had mixed up his medical terms. “Sorry. I am a mechanical engineer. I used a medical mis-term. I said chronic instead of acute. I wanted to correct it. Osimhen is not chronically ill. Rest assured,” he said.
The correction matters because the timeline around Osimhen’s return is already confused. The striker underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure at Maslak Acıbadem Hospital on 7 November, after scans revealed a loose fragment inside his left knee, with club doctor Yener İnce performing the operation.
Osimhen chronic injury: what it means for Galatasaray and Nigeria
Two Turkish briefings still disagree on when he will be back. Journalist Ali Naci Küçük has warned the layoff could stretch to five weeks, which would rule Osimhen out of the games against Samsunspor, Aston Villa and Beşiktaş, while Galatasaray insider Emre Kaplan insists the club is still targeting the Aston Villa meeting on 24 November for his comeback. Galatasaray themselves have announced no official return date.
For Nigeria, the uncertainty is already settled in one sense: Osimhen is out of Eric Chelle’s 24-man squad for the Tanzania double-header, missing Friday’s home leg in Uyo and Tuesday’s return in Zanzibar. With their talisman sidelined, pundit Levent Tüzemen has urged Galatasaray to sign a striking partner in January — a reminder that, chronic or acute, the champions cannot wait forever for their leading scorer. For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Victor Osimhen in Nigeria colours, Fédération Guinéenne de Football via Wikimedia Commons (public domain) — collage by SportsBuddy
