Super Eagles coach, Éric Chelle faces a fresh headache over midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru ahead of the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
The 25-year-old midfielder has been a regular for Nigeria since Chelle took over as coach, whether as a starter or coming off the bench.
He was expected to be called up to camp for Nigeria’s games during the upcoming international break. However, he suffered a thigh injury in Lazio’s first game of the season against Bologna, raising fears that he could be sidelined for a few weeks.
He remained sidelined until Wednesday, when news broke that he could soon return to full training with his teammates and potentially make the bench for Lazio’s big Serie A clash against AC Milan this weekend. But that no longer appears to be the case.
According to Radio Sei Lazio, Dele-Bashiru is set to spend extra time on the sidelines due to his injury. As such, he will not be involved in Lazio’s clash against high-flying AC Milan this weekend.
This is a big blow for manager Gennaro Gattuso, as Dele-Bashiru offers an impressive work rate in the middle of the park. Against a Milan side full of confidence after taking seven points from their first three games, his presence would have been key. Now, Lazio will have to manage without him.
According to the report, the Super Eagles star may have to wait until after the international break before making his return, dealing a blow to Nigeria as well. With the international break two weeks away, he is unlikely to feature for the national team.
Consequently, coach Chelle may have to look for other options in midfield. He is already without Tochukwu Nnadi, who is nursing a knee problem at Olympique de Marseille. With Dele-Bashiru now expected to miss out, other players could get an opportunity to break into the side.