Super Eagles: Chelle’s midfield joker risks missing AFCON qualifiers with injury

Chelle Eric of Nigeria. Copyright: Imagoxloulidiphotox

Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle is expected to be without one of his regular midfielders when the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers begin in September, Soccernet.ng reports.

​This comes as Tochukwu Nnadi suffered a serious injury in Marseille’s French Ligue 1 game against Monaco on Sunday. He did not start the match, but he was introduced at the break.

​However, he managed only 28 minutes of action before being substituted off due to the injury.

​According to reports, Nnadi felt a twist in his knee, though there is no official confirmation yet regarding how long he will be sidelined. If severe, it could potentially keep him out of action for several weeks.

🚨 Tochukwu Nnadi sustained a knee injury during Marseille’s 2-0 Ligue 1 defeat against Monaco on Sunday.

Boss Bruno Génésio confirmed the setback post-match, stating that “Nnadi felt a twisting sensation in his knee”

A big doubt for Super Eagles’ AFCON qualifiers this month pic.twitter.com/Tw0tfJMiiF

— Football Money (@FollowD_Money) September 1, 2026

​This is a major blow for the midfielder, as he is yet to cement a regular spot in coach Bruno Génésio’s starting eleven.

Soccer Nnadi To Miss Super Eagles’ AFCON Qualifiers

​On the international scene, Nnadi’s injury comes at a bad time, as Nigeria is set to return to action later this month.

​With Nnadi’s setback, he will likely miss Nigeria’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau later this month.

​Nnadi broke into the Super Eagles fold in January, becoming one of the debutants in Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 squad. Since then, the 23-year-old has earned regular call-ups to the national team.

​Although he is not a guaranteed starter, Chelle appears to have taken a liking to the Marseille midfielder, who has consistently performed well in a green and white shirt.

​If not for this injury, Nnadi would have likely been called up to camp later this month. Now, coach Chelle will have to assess other options in the middle of the park. Nonetheless, even in Nnadi’s absence, Nigeria are still expected to overcome Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

​The three-time African champions will first welcome Madagascar to Nigeria on September 23 before trading tackles with Guinea-Bissau four days later in an away fixture.

Meanwhile, for Nnadi, he will be hoping to bounce back and return to action as soon as possible.

Kelvin Omachonu

Kelvin Omachonu is a professional football columnist and sports writer with over half a decade of experience covering major events and delivering captivating, analytically-driven stories.
A graduate of the University of Ibadan, he is fueled by a profound dedication to sports journalism and the beautiful game. His insights have previously been featured in respected outlets, including IndyPress UI, UCJ UI Newshive NG, Sportpremi, and a few others.
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