Chelle sweats over Dele-Bashiru fitness as Lazio races to beat AFCON deadline
Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle is closely monitoring the fitness of Fisayo Dele-Bashiru as the Lazio midfielder races to recover from a thigh injury ahead of Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.
Dele-Bashiru has been sidelined since August 25 after sustaining the injury just one day after featuring for 54 minutes in Lazio’s 1-0 Serie A victory away to Bologna.
The setback initially raised concerns over his availability for Nigeria’s September international window, coming at a time when Chelle is already dealing with several injury worries in his squad.
However, there is now a positive development for both Lazio and the Super Eagles.
According to reports from Italy, Dele-Bashiru could return to group training, with Lazio considering him for Saturday’s Serie A meeting with AC Milan. A place on the bench would be the more realistic target if he is cleared to return.
The 25-year-old had made a strong start to the new campaign under Lazio coach Gennaro Gattuso before the injury interrupted his progress.
He had also featured for 71 minutes against Mantova in the Coppa Italia before starting against Bologna, making his absence a significant blow to Lazio’s midfield options.
For Chelle, Dele-Bashiru’s potential return could provide a timely boost as Nigeria prepares for two demanding AFCON qualifying fixtures.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to open their Group L campaign against Madagascar on September 25 before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.
Dele-Bashiru has become an increasingly important part of Chelle’s midfield plans and was involved in Nigeria’s recent international programme.
He featured against Poland and Portugal in June, playing 27 minutes against Poland and 60 minutes against Portugal, where he provided an assist despite Nigeria’s 2-1 defeat.
His fitness has become even more important for Chelle amid a growing list of injury concerns affecting the Super Eagles.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Zaidu Sanusi, Sadiq Umar and Tochukwu Nnadi had already been carrying fitness concerns, while Victor Osimhen and Paul Onuachu have subsequently added to Nigeria’s injury worries.
Osimhen has been dealing with a groin injury suffered in Galatasaray’s 3-2 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir, while Onuachu was forced off after scoring twice for Trabzonspor against Gençlerbirligi.
Chelle will therefore be hoping Dele-Bashiru can complete his recovery without a setback and accumulate enough training time to make the Super Eagles camp.
A return to Lazio’s matchday squad against AC Milan would represent an important step, although it would not automatically guarantee his availability or full fitness for Nigeria.
The priority for the Super Eagles coach will be to assess the midfielder’s condition closer to the international break before deciding whether he can contribute against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
With Nigeria looking to make a strong start to their AFCON qualifying campaign, Chelle will welcome every positive injury update as he seeks to assemble his strongest possible squad.
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