Galatasaray have been handed a major lift ahead of their Champions League showdown with Liverpool after Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen made his return from injury.
The Turkish champions host Arne Slot’s Reds at RAMS Park on Tuesday night, and manager Okan Buruk confirmed Osimhen is edging closer to full fitness following an ankle problem picked up on international duty with Nigeria earlier this month.
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The 26-year-old Super Eagles striker was a second-half substitute in Galatasaray’s 1-0 Super Lig win over Alanyaspor on Friday, with Buruk explaining the decision to give him a short runout.
“We wanted to play him for ten minutes today so he could experience the pain,” Buruk told reporters. “He’s not 100 per cent physically ready. He hasn’t trained fully with the team since returning from the national team, but we’ll assess his condition before the Liverpool game.”
Buruk stressed that his decision was a calculated risk to ensure Osimhen has a chance of featuring against the Premier League giants: “We are taking these risks to make sure he plays and contributes to us.”
Osimhen’s return is a timely boost after Galatasaray’s Champions League campaign began with a bruising 5-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt last week. Facing a Liverpool side in strong form, the Nigerian’s availability could prove crucial in Buruk’s plans to keep their European hopes alive.
