Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers has been sidelined with a persistent injury since the beginning of 2026, Soccernet.ng reports.
Dessers sustained a muscle injury while representing Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) and has struggled to recover since. Following the tournament, he returned to his club, Panathinaikos, for further assessment.
Although the injury was initially expected to be minor, his condition got worse, which meant that he had to undergo surgery in April. And that ruled him out for the rest of the season.
According to Transfermarkt, the 31-year-old has been in rehabilitation for the past 187 days. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the former Feyenoord man.
According to Pao Pantou, the Nigerian forward is set to rejoin the squad for their pre-season training camp in the Netherlands. During this trip, Panathinaikos is scheduled to face Ajax, Grasshopper, and SK Rapid. Dessers is expected to participate in full training ahead of his anticipated return to competitive action in August.
Cyriel Dessers Up For Big Season at Panathinaikos
Dessers arrived at Panathinaikos from Rangers last summer in a transfer worth €4.6 million. He was signed to spearhead the club's attack and challenge domestic giants like Olympiacos and AEK Athens.
But his debut season was unfortunately hampered by the injury that stopped him from showing his full potential to the Panathinaikos faithful.
With the new season approaching, there is a sense of optimism since he is fully fit. Dessers is expected to provide the consistent goal-scoring threat the team desperately needs.
Panathinaikos face a very tough campaign, competing in the Greek Super League, the Greek Cup, and the UEFA Conference League. This making a fully fit squad very important.
After a lengthy layoff, Dessers will be eager to hit the ground running. Away from his club duties, he will be hoping that a solid start to the season will earn him a recall to the Super Eagles squad.
