Nigeria defender Igoh Ogbu will be examined in Lisbon on Monday after suffering an injury during the Super Eagles’ training session ahead of their friendly against Portugal.
The 25-year-old is suspected to have damaged his left Achilles tendon and has already been ruled out of Wednesday’s encounter with the Portuguese side.
Providing an update on the player’s condition, Super Eagles Media Officer Promise Efoghe dismissed rumours that Ogbu had left camp for Prague, confirming that the defender remained with the squad and would undergo further medical checks in Portugal.
“Ignore reports claiming Igoh Ogbu has returned to Prague. He is still with the team in Lisbon and will have a scan on Monday,” Efoghe told journalists through the team’s WhatsApp platform.
Ogbu has impressed in recent outings for Nigeria. He played a key role in the team’s Unity Cup success in London and also featured in the first half of last week’s friendly against Poland in Warsaw.
His absence creates another challenge for head coach Eric Chelle, who has already had to cope with several withdrawals. The Super Eagles boss now has Calvin Bassey, Emmanuel Fernandez and Semi Ajayi as his available central defensive options.
Portugal, meanwhile, have welcomed four Paris Saint-Germain players into camp. Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos joined the squad after helping the French champions overcome Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final.
Portugal coach Roberto Martínez revealed that the quartet will be available to face Nigeria, while Rafael Leão will miss the match following his dismissal in the friendly against Chile.
