After Osimhen, another key Super Eagles striker suffers injury

Chelle Eric of Nigeria. Copyright: Imagoxloulidiphotox

​Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is set to be sidelined for three weeks, and another Nigerian striker has joined him on the treatment table, Soccernet.ng reports.

​Earlier today, Galatasaray confirmed that the 27-year-old is set for three weeks on the sidelines due to a muscle strain.

​Now, Paul Onuachu is set for his own spell on the sidelines. The Nigerian striker led the line for Trabzonspor in their Süper Lig game against Gençlerbirliği on Sunday, scoring two of their opening three goals inside 22 minutes.

🇳🇬💥 Paul Onuachu (32) with two goals for Trabzonspor! He is one of the tallest strikers in European football, he is 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in). 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ck7EhtAvaZ

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) September 6, 2026

​He could have even scored a hat-trick, but he allowed Mohamed Salah to take the penalty they won in the 12th minute, which the Egyptian converted with aplomb.

​Unfortunately for Onuachu, he was forced off in the 44th minute with what seemed to be a muscle injury.

​The game eventually ended 5–0 in Trabzonspor’s favor, courtesy of strikes from Ernest Muçi and Onuachu’s replacement, Franculino Djú.

🚨 Big scare for Trabzonspor and the Super Eagles as Paul Onuachu sustained an injury in the first half against Gençlerbirliği and had to be taken off. It was a bittersweet night for the striker, who scored twice earlier in the game to open his season account.

The club’s medical… pic.twitter.com/og5xeZIf7p

— Soccernet.ng (@soccernet_ng) September 6, 2026

​For Onuachu, it was a bittersweet night, as he finally ended a ten-game goal drought. However, that came at the expense of his fitness, and he is now set for a spell on the sidelines.

Soccer ​Who Will Miss Onuachu More: Trabzonspor or the Super Eagles?

​Although nothing has been confirmed yet, Onuachu will likely spend a few weeks on the sidelines.

​This comes at a bad time for him. Trabzonspor recently signed Franculino Djú from Midtjylland, and he is expected to compete with Onuachu for a starting spot.

​With the Super Eagles star sidelined, Franculino will have the opportunity to establish himself as a starter. If he performs well, Onuachu might find it difficult to reclaim his place once fit.

​Trabzonspor have enough cover in attack, so they should manage fine before the international break.

​Meanwhile, for Nigeria, the international break is three weeks away, and Eric Chelle will already be without the services of Osimhen, which is a significant blow.

​However, Onuachu has not cemented his place as the obvious candidate Chelle would turn to in Osimhen’s absence, particularly given his recent form.

​Since the start of the season, alternative options such as Cyriel Dessers, Tolu Arokodare, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Rafiu Durosinmi have been firing on all cylinders. Consequently, Onuachu might not have made the squad list for the September qualifiers anyway.

​Nonetheless, the 32-year-old will hope the injury is not severe and that he can return to action as quickly 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.
Away from work, Kelvin is an avid fan of basketball, enjoys a great movie, and is always discovering new music.