Turkish champions Galatasaray have confirmed that Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen has sustained a moderate muscle strain with internal bleeding in his left leg while on international duty with the Super Eagles.

The club revealed the extent of the injury on Wednesday after the striker returned to Turkey for further assessment. An MRI scan conducted at Galatasaray’s sponsor hospital, Acibadem, provided clarity on the situation.

“In the MRI scans performed today at our sponsor hospital, Acibadem, our football player Victor Osimhen was found to have a moderate strain (strain and bleeding) in the left posterior muscle, and his treatment has begun,” the club announced.

Osimhen, 26, picked up the injury during Nigeria’s World Cup African playoff final against DR Congo. He did not return for the second half after feeling sharp discomfort at the back of his leg, and his visible struggle as he left the pitch sparked immediate fears regarding the severity of the injury.

Nigeria went on to miss out on qualification for the intercontinental World Cup playoffs and will now turn their full attention to the Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for next month in Morocco.

Despite the setback, Osimhen received positive news off the pitch as he was named among the final three nominees for the 2025 African Men’s Player of the Year award, joining Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah on the shortlist.