Leon Balogun Injury Curse Continues As Mainz Confirm Adductor Blow

Mainz 05 defender Leon Balogun is in a race against the clock to be fit for Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Zambia in Ndola in two weeks time.

His Bundesliga club have confirmed that he has an adductor problem and was forced off the Coface Arena pitch in the ninth minute of the game with Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday afternoon due to the ailment.

Club medics will evaluate the extent of Balogun’s injury in the coming days to determine how soon he can return to training.

The German-born stopper has been beset by injury problems, especially before important Super Eagles matches, since he made his international debut against Mexico in March 2014.

Today’s clash against Bayer Leverkusen was Balogun’s fifth appearance in the Bundesliga this season.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel