Nigerian defender Bruno Onyemaechi may not be able to participate in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe due to a muscle injury sustained in training at Portuguese club Boavista, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
In addition to Onyemaechi, the Super Eagles will also be missing key players like Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, and Zaidu Sanusi, who are all recovering from hamstring injuries. Striker Taiwo Awoniyi’s availability for the games is also uncertain, despite returning to training with Nottingham Forest.
Onyemaechi was unable to play in Boavista’s 2-0 league defeat against Sporting Lisbon on Monday due to a muscle complaint. His availability for their upcoming fixture against Rio Ave on Sunday is still uncertain.
The Boavista defender has been a prominent figure for the Eagles, appearing in their last three games against Saudi Arabia, Mozambique in last month’s friendlies, and their final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against São Tomé and Príncipe in Uyo.
Apart from the AFCON qualifier against Sierra Leone, Onyemaechi has been called up for all of the Eagles’ games since November 2022.
At Boavista, the 24-year-old defender has started seven out of nine league games this season, highlighting his importance to the team.
In related news, Onyemaechi’s teammate Chidozie Awaziem has been nominated for Boavista’s Player of the Month for October. He faces competition from Sebastián Pérez and Róbert Boženík for the award.
