Bursaspor head coach Mustafa Er has eased concerns over Kelechi Iheanacho’s fitness, confirming that the Super Eagles striker is expected to return to training ahead of Saturday’s Turkish 1. Lig encounter against Bandırmaspor.

The Nigerian forward was withdrawn in the 69th minute of Bursaspor’s 4-2 victory over Keçiörengücü last Sunday after experiencing discomfort, raising concerns about his availability for the upcoming fixture.

Iheanacho had earlier made a significant contribution to the victory, scoring in the 50th minute to put Bursaspor 3-2 ahead before being replaced.

Er subsequently explained that the decision to withdraw the 30-year-old was precautionary, with the technical crew opting to give him time to recover rather than risk aggravating the problem.

Speaking at Thursday’s pre-match press conference, the Bursaspor manager confirmed that the former Leicester City forward had been rested for one to two days and was expected to rejoin the squad.

“We rested Iheanacho for 1-2 days after the match. He will train with us today. I don’t think there will be any problems with him playing in the Bandırmaspor match,” Er said, according to Turkish newspaper Sabah.  

The update will come as a relief to Bursaspor, who have enjoyed an impressive return on their investment in the Nigerian striker since signing him as a free agent following his departure from Celtic.

Iheanacho has been in remarkable scoring form, registering 16 goals and three assists in 12 appearances across all competitions this season, according to the report.

His consistency in front of goal has also produced a remarkable sequence of 12 consecutive league appearances in which he has found the net.

The striker reportedly broke a record previously associated with Galatasaray legends Metin Oktay and Saffet Sancaklı when he scored in his 10th consecutive league appearance against Muğlaspor on October 15.

He subsequently extended the scoring streak against Keçiörengücü, further strengthening his position as Bursaspor’s leading attacking threat.  

Bursaspor will now hope Iheanacho completes training without complications and is available when they host Bandırmaspor on Saturday.

His continued availability will be important to the club’s ambitions, particularly as they seek to maintain their impressive form in the Turkish second division.

The positive update for Nigeria is equally encouraging, given Iheanacho’s importance to the Super Eagles and the possibility of further national team assignments.