Ryan Alebiosu: Blackburn Rovers issue injury update on Super Eagles defender

Super Eagles defender Ryan Alebiosu was forced off in Blackburn Rovers' Championship win over Millwall at Ewood Park on Saturday, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nigerian right-back had put in another impressive first-half performance for Rovers before being replaced at the interval by deadline-day signing Gady Beyuku.

Alebiosu's early withdrawal against Millwall now joins a mounting list of Super Eagles injury concerns ahead of Nigeria's opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau later this month.

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The London-born defender started the fixture as a certain starter for Mowbray after publicly emerging as one of the manager's most trusted names, and the Blackburn boss had insisted only days ago that Alebiosu would remain in his preferred right-back position rather than being moved to right-wing to accommodate Beyuku.

That confidence remains intact after the Millwall substitution, with Mowbray offering a positive-sounding assessment of the Nigerian's condition after the game.

Mowbray issues Ryan Alebiosu injury update

Speaking on BBC Radio Lancashire in in quotes relayed by the Lancashire Telegraph, Blackburn coach Tony Mowbray confirmed that Alebiosu's absence from the second half was down to illness rather than a fresh injury.

“Ryan is more illness than injury,” Mowbray said. “The defender had complained about the issue earlier in the week, which could be tonsillitis.”

The Blackburn head coach explained that Alebiosu had been carrying discomfort throughout the previous few days before the match and had spent training sessions doing recovery work rather than full training.

“It's the physicality of the games over the last week that have caught him out,” Mowbray added.

“I am not 100% sure but he was in the physio game, who came to see me.”

Alebiosu joins Super Eagles injury crisis

The Alebiosu update comes at the wrong moment for Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle, whose Super Eagles squad for the September AFCON qualifiers is dealing with a severe injury list.

Victor Osimhen has been ruled out with a groin injury sustained in Galatasaray's 3-2 win over Basaksehir, with the Turkish champions confirming a “moderate to advanced level strain with bleeding in the right groin area” that will keep the striker out until after the international break.

Zadok Yohanna, Brighton's 19-year-old summer signing from AIK Stockholm, has been ruled out until after the international break as Fabian Hurzeler manages his adaptation to Premier League intensity.

Tochukwu Nnadi's decision to skip immediate surgery on his suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury has also taken the Marseille midfielder out of contention, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Umar Sadiq and Zaidu Sanusi are also on Chelle's growing injury list.

The tonsillitis update is unlikely to change Chelle's squad-selection thoughts, given that the illness Mowbray described is typically resolved within days rather than weeks.

However, the Nigerian will need to complete his recovery before joining up with the Super Eagles camp to be considered available for either fixture.

If Alebiosu is unavailable, Chelle's right-back options at the qualifiers will centre on Nottingham Forest's Ola Aina, Birmingham City's Bright Osayi-Samuel and Banik Ostrava's Abdullahi Bewene.

Nigeria kick off their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.

For Alebiosu, the Millwall setback is manageable. For Chelle, whose squad has been reshaped by injury to key players, the bright side is a chance to invite new faces to make a claim for themselves in the Nigerian national team.