Galatasaray to take massive gamble on Victor Osimhen

Galatasaray’s technical staff are reportedly preparing to take a calculated gamble on Victor Osimhen’s fitness, accelerating his recovery timeline in a desperate bid to salvage their faltering Süper Lig campaign.

Following a fractured right forearm sustained against Liverpool in the Champions League, the original medical strategy was to ensure the Nigerian striker was rehabilitated and fully match-ready for the monumental Intercontinental Derby against Fenerbahçe on April 26.

However, Galatasaray's domestic form has drastically waned during his absence, exposing a glaring lack of cutting edge in the final third. 

A debilitating 2-1 defeat to Trabzonspor after the international break and a highly disappointing 1-1 draw against Kocaelispor over the weekend have seen the defending champions drop five crucial points in eight days. 

Consequently, their once-comfortable cushion at the summit has been slashed to just two points above rivals Fenerbahçe, forcing manager Okan Buruk to prematurely name Osimhen to the squad list for this weekend's critical league clash against Gençlerbirliği.

Prior to his injury, the CAF 2023 POTY was the undisputed focal point of the attack, netting 12 goals in 19 league appearances alongside seven in Europe. 

To mitigate the risk of aggravating the fracture, which required corrective surgery, Osimhen will be heavily protected. He is expected to play with a custom-designed, specialised brace. 

According to Sporx, Buruk's current plan is to start the 27-year-old on the bench against Gençlerbirliği, deploying him for either 45 minutes if the team is trailing or the final 20 minutes to build match fitness if they are leading comfortably.