Semi Ajayi Ruled Out Until End of March with AFCON 2025 Hamstring Injury

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic has confirmed that Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi could be sidelined until the end of March after sustaining a hamstring injury during Nigeria’s third-place playoff against Egypt at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Ajayi, 31, who scored Nigeria’s opening goal of the tournament and featured in six of the Eagles’ seven matches, has not played for Hull since returning from AFCON duty.

His absence has been keenly felt, with the centre-back having established himself as a consistent performer since joining the Championship side as a free agent last summer.

Speaking ahead of Hull’s trip to Blackburn Rovers, Jakirovic ruled out any chance of Ajayi featuring this weekend.

‘We’ve taken Paddy because of (Semi) Ajayi’s situation, we don’t know, maybe it will be the end of March before he will be with us,’ the manager told The Yorkshire Post.

The injury represents a significant setback for Hull City, who will now have to cope without one of their most experienced defenders during a crucial phase of the season.