Champions League: Nigeria star a big doubt as Victor Osimhen’s Galatasaray face Monaco

Galatasaray’s hopes of sealing a top-eight place in the UEFA Champions League receive a major boost as Victor Osimhen returns to lead the Turkish champions’ frontline against Monaco on Tuesday night, Soccernet.ng reports. 

The 26-year-old Nigerian striker, second in the Champions League scoring chart with six goals in just three appearances, is set to start at Stade Louis II.

His presence has proven decisive as Galatasaray have won all three games he has featured in and lost both matches he missed through injury.

The highly anticipated clash initially promised a meeting of Nigerian forwards, but Monaco's George Ilenikhena will likely miss the tie through injury.

Born in Lagos, the 19-year-old has scored twice in Ligue 1 and appeared twice in the Champions League this season. His knee problem, which kept him out of Monaco’s 1–0 defeat to Stade Brest, looks set to rule him out again.

Also unavailable is Monaco’s Folarin Balogun, the United States international of Nigerian descent.

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Monaco hit by injuries as Galatasaray battle for top-eight push

Monaco enter the sixth round of the Champions League with mixed form and a lengthy injury list.

Alongside Ilenikhena and Balogun, the fitness of Ansu Fati, Denis Zakaria, Christian Mawissa and Eric Dier will be determined closer to kick-off.

Fati and Balogun have six goals each this season; both would have posed significant danger had they been available.

Galatasaray’s own setbacks are substantial. Eight players will not feature, including Wilfried Singo, Mario Lemina, Ismail Jakobs, Kaan Ayhan and Arda Ünyay, plus Eren Elmalı and Metehan Baltacı, both suspended due to a betting investigation. Kazımcan Karataş is also unavailable due to not being registered on the UEFA list.

Despite these absences, Galatasaray, 14th with nine points, remain fully in contention. Their campaign began with a heavy 5–1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt before impressive victories over Liverpool (1–0), Bodo/Glimt (3–1) and Ajax (3–0). Their 1–0 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise last week interrupted their momentum but did not terminate their top-eight ambitions.

Osimhen remains their strongest weapon. He has scored in each of his last eight European matches, six goals in last season’s Europa League and six in this season’s Champions League, totalling 12 in an eight-game scoring streak. The Super Eagles striker scored twice at the weekend, including a stoppage-time bicycle-kick winner, in Galatasaray’s thrilling 3-2 victory against Samsunspor.  

Leroy Sané, still searching for his first Champions League goal this season despite five in the Turkish Super Lig, is expected to support Osimhen and Barış Alper Yılmaz in attack. His form has improved notably in recent weeks.

Monaco, seventh in Ligue 1 after a run of one win and four defeats, have also struggled in Europe with one win, three draws and a loss. Their 4–1 opening defeat to Club Brugge was followed by draws against Manchester City (2–2) and Tottenham (0–0), a win over Bodo/Glimt, and a surprising 2–2 draw with Pafos.

Dutch referee Danny Makkelie will officiate Tuesday’s clash.