Victor Osimhen has informed Galatasaray’s technical staff and medical team of his desire to return to action in today’s Super Lig fixture against Gençlerbirliği, even as the club adopts a cautious approach over his fitness ahead of a decisive stage in the title race.
The Nigeria international, who has been sidelined since March after suffering a forearm fracture in a Champions League match against Liverpool, is back in training and has been included in the squad for the league encounter.
His return comes at a critical moment for Galatasaray, who are attempting to protect a slim advantage at the top of the table with five matches remaining and Fenerbahçe closing in.
Despite his availability, club officials are understood to be managing his minutes carefully due to concerns over the risk of aggravating the injury with medical staff and the coaching department reportedly unwilling to start him from the outset, particularly with the Istanbul derby against Fenerbahçe approaching.
According to reports shared on Spor Gecesi Digital and relayed by journalist Gökhan Dinç, Osimhen has made his intentions clear to the club hierarchy regarding his involvement in the match.
“Osimhen told Galatasaray management and the technical staff, ‘I want to play in the Gençlerbirliği match’,” Dinç reported as quoted by habersarikirmizi.com.
However, despite the striker’s eagerness, the technical and medical teams are said to view a starting role as highly risky at this stage of his recovery.
The focus, according to the same reports, is on carefully managing his return to ensure full fitness for upcoming key fixtures, particularly the derby against Fenerbahçe.
Dinç also indicated that Osimhen is unlikely to be named in the starting line-up, with a more conservative approach expected from the coaching staff.
“The technical staff and doctors consider it extremely risky for Osimhen to start before the Fenerbahçe derby. Therefore, I do not expect him to start against Gençlerbirliği,” he added.
He further suggested that Osimhen could still feature in a limited capacity depending on the flow of the match.
“Osimhen will play the final 15 to 20 minutes of the Gençlerbirliği match regardless of the score. The main preparation is to get Osimhen ready for the Fenerbahçe derby.”
Osimhen’s return is being closely monitored after a strong season in front of goal before his injury setback, during which he registered 19 goals and seven assists in 29 appearances across all competitions.
His presence remains crucial to Galatasaray’s title push, with the club hoping to balance immediate needs against long-term fitness as the season reaches its decisive phase.
