Samuel Chukwueze’s hip surgery has ruled the AC Milan winger out of Nigeria’s crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Tanzania, the Serie A club confirmed on Wednesday.
The Chukwueze hip surgery repaired a ruptured tendon in his left hip, in a second major injury blow to the Super Eagles within 24 hours — Galatasaray had announced only a day earlier that star striker Victor Osimhen will also undergo knee surgery and miss the same two games.
What AC Milan said about the Chukwueze hip surgery
AC Milan confirmed the news in a short medical statement on the club’s official website. “AC Milan confirms that Samuel Chukwueze has undergone surgery in London to repair a ruptured tendon of the tensor fasciae latae muscle in his left hip,” the club said. “The operation, performed by Professor Ernest Schilders with Dr Stefano Mazzoni in attendance, was successful. Chukwueze will return to Italy today, where he will begin his rehabilitation.”
Chukwueze picked up the injury during Milan’s Serie A meeting with Atalanta on 18 October and has not played since. The setback had already forced him to miss league games against Udinese, Inter and Bologna, as well as the Europa League tie against Bournemouth, before the club’s medical staff decided surgery was the only way forward.
The winger had been adapting to a new wing-back role under Milan manager Ruben Amorim this season, and the operation ends what had been an encouraging start to the campaign.
How long will Chukwueze be out?
Milan have not announced an official return date, but reports in Italy suggest the Nigerian faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport have put his absence at between three and five months, with the more pessimistic estimates suggesting he may not return until the spring.
At best, Chukwueze is expected to be out until the end of the year, which rules him out of the Tanzania double-header and leaves his availability for Nigeria’s next international window in March — against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau — in doubt.
For Milan, the lay-off could mean between 18 and 25 matches missed, depending on how his rehabilitation progresses.
A double blow for Chelle’s Super Eagles
Chukwueze’s absence compounds a growing injury crisis for Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, who is preparing for two must-win qualifiers. Nigeria sit on three points from their opening two games — a 2-1 win over Madagascar followed by a shock 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau — and can hardly afford another slip against the Taifa Stars.
The first leg takes place at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, 13 November, with the return fixture in Dar es Salaam four days later. Chelle has already trimmed his squad for the double-header, and losing both Chukwueze and Osimhen removes two of his most direct attacking threats in one week.
Moses Simon and Ademola Lookman are the most experienced wide options left in the squad, and Chelle may have to shuffle his attack to cover the right flank that Chukwueze usually owns. It is a test of the squad’s depth at the worst possible time, with qualification for AFCON 2027 on the line.
For Chukwueze, the focus now is purely on recovery. The former Villarreal winger, who spent last season on loan at Fulham, will begin rehabilitation in Italy under Milan’s medical staff, with the club prioritising a full recovery over a rushed return.
With two of Nigeria’s biggest names sidelined, the odds for the double-header will be watched closely. See our today’s football predictions for the latest tips and analysis.
Nigeria will hope their winger returns stronger in the new year — but for the Tanzania double-header, Chelle must find a way to win without him.
Photo: Timmy96 / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) — collage by SportsBuddy.
