League leaders Galatasaray have struggled to maintain their dominance since losing talismanic forward Victor Osimhen to an arm injury in March, missing the opportunity to open up a wider gap at the top.
The Nigerian striker has been unavailable since March 18 after suffering the setback during a UEFA Champions League play-off fixture against Liverpool shortly before the international break.
In his absence, the team’s performances have dipped. Galatasaray have featured in three league matches without him, managing just a single win and collecting four points from a possible nine. They currently lead the standings with 68 points, holding a slim advantage over Fenerbahçe on 66 points, while Trabzonspor remain within reach on 64 points.
Across all competitions this season, Osimhen has been sidelined for 11 matches due to injury. During those games, Galatasaray recorded five victories, two draws, and four defeats, resulting in a loss of 16 valuable points without their star attacker.
His continued absence has raised concerns among supporters about the club’s title hopes, with increasing calls on head coach Okan Buruk to hasten his return to action.
However, there is encouraging news as Osimhen has resumed light training and could be named in the squad for the upcoming away match against Gençlerbirliği this weekend. He is also expected to regain full fitness in time for the crucial derby against Fenerbahçe next week.
Following the team’s 1-1 home draw against Kocaelispor on Sunday, Buruk provided an update on the striker’s condition.
“Osimhen has started training. He will be in the squad for the weekend. Nothing has changed in my mind. We dropped points, we lost an advantage, but we never lost confidence in ourselves. I trust myself, my players, and our fans. We will celebrate the championship together,” the coach said.
“We hope Victor Osimhen will be in the squad for the Gençlerbirliği match.”
Although Osimhen was present in the stands during Sunday’s encounter, he did not participate in Monday’s training session. The team is set to observe a rest day on Tuesday, with expectations that he will return to full training on Wednesday.
Since completing a €75m transfer to Galatasaray last summer, Osimhen has played a vital role, contributing 12 goals and four assists in 19 league appearances, along with seven goals in the Champions League. He currently sits just behind Mauro Icardi, who leads the club’s scoring chart with 13 goals in 27 matches.
If he is cleared to play this weekend, Osimhen will rejoin Galatasaray’s push for the title with only five matches remaining in the season.
