Osimhen in fitness race for Fenerbahçe derby

Galatasaray are exploring the possibility of having Victor Osimhen fit before the club’s intercontinental derby against Fenerbahçe on Monday, December 1, after he was diagnosed with a moderate strain in his left posterior thigh muscle, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The club confirmed on Wednesday that the player has begun treatment after undergoing a scan for the knock he sustained while on international duty with Nigeria.

Osimhen was withdrawn at halftime during Nigeria’s loss to DR Congo in the final of the 2026 World Cup African play-off on Sunday. The striker was believed to have suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted to prevent further aggravation.

“Our football player Victor Osimhen’s MRI scan performed today at our sponsor hospital, Acıbadem, revealed moderate strain (strain and bleeding) in his left hamstring, and treatment has begun,” the Turkish champions said in a statement.

Although Galatasaray did not reveal how long his treatment will take, reports in Turkey suggest the player is being put under intensive treatment, which could speed up his recovery, as against the expected three to four weeks timeline.

He is expected to miss their next league game against Gençlerbirliği on Saturday, and he is also doubtful for their Champions League game against Union SG next Tuesday.

Turkish journalist, Ali Küçük said via Forza Cimbom that the club are looking to have him after the two games.

“The Galatasaray technical staff and medical board are taking a risk at this point and aiming to include Osimhen in the full squad for the Fenerbahçe derby. Osimhen is unlikely to play in the Gençlerbirliği and USG matches. He wouldn’t normally be ready for the Fenerbahçe derby, but we’re talking about a very different player. Due to Osimhen’s desire and insistence on this point, he will receive intensive treatment. At the very least, he will be on the bench for the derby and then be able to play and contribute to the team.”

“I asked the medical staff about Osimhen’s condition; they said, ‘He needs to rest for 6-7 days, then he’ll be ready for the match.’ We’ll see him in the USG match anyway,” another Turkish journalist Yakup Çınar said via Forza Cimbom, a Turkish football account on X.

Turkish channel, TRT Spor reports, “Although there’s a very low probability, there’s a chance Osimhen could be in the expanded squad for the USG match. The target match, however, is the Fenerbahçe derby.”

Turkish journalist Haluk Yürekli also said the club will decide as the matches approach.

“Osimhen will definitely not be in the squad for the Gençlerbirliği match. For the USG and Fenerbahçe matches, Galatasaray Club is neither saying ‘He will play’ nor ‘He won’t play.’ The decision will be made after the matches get closer,” Yürekli said via Forza Cimbom.

In September, after returning from an international duty with Nigeria, the 27-year-old missed three games for Galatasaray due to injury.

Despite being hampered by injury this season, Osimhen has scored nine goals in 12 matches for Galatasaray.

He recently bagged a hat-trick against Ajax in the UEFA Champions League, helping them climb to ninth position in the league phase, while they also hold a one-point lead over rivals Fenerbahçe at the top of the Süper Lig.

The 27-year-old joined Galatasaray permanently in the summer after a successful loan spell from Napoli in the 2024/25 season, when he scored 37 goals in 41 appearances.