Galatasaray Rest Osimhen for Turkish Cup Clash

Galatasaray have explained why Victor Osimhen was absent from their squad for Tuesday’s Ziraat Turkish Cup clash against Alanyaspor.

The Nigerian striker was not included in the travelling party as part of a planned recovery programme.

In a statement released on X, the Turkish champions confirmed that Osimhen is undergoing individualized training designed for active recovery.

The same programme has also been applied to Uğurcan Çakır, Davinson Sánchez, Abdülkerim Bardakcı and Mario Lemina, with the aim of maintaining fitness levels and managing workload during a congested period of fixtures.

Despite his omission, Osimhen has been in outstanding form this season, scoring 17 goals and providing six assists in 25 appearances across all competitions.

However, he will have to wait longer to make his Turkish Cup debut, having already missed earlier rounds against Başakşehir, Fethiyespor and İstanbulspor due to his participation with Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

His absence is expected to be felt by the Yellow-Reds as they look to defend the domestic crown they lifted in the 2024/25 season.