Obafemi Martins Will Not Play In Second World Cup, Out For 7 Months

Obafemi Martins's hopes of making Nigeria's roster for the World Cup ended on Tuesday after the striker sustained a long-term injury in his side's Asian Champions League tie against Kashima Antlers.

The Shanghai Shenhua number seventeen left the field after 22 minutes and has been diagnosed with a partial rupture of the quadriceps tendon of the right knee.

At present, the club and the medical team are arranging for Martins to undergo surgery as soon as possible.

Ma Yue, the press officer of Shenhua, revealed on social media that Martins needed 6-7 months to recover after the surgery.

Martins' name was earlier bandied about by the local media as one of the players manager Gernot Rohr was considering to beef up the Super Eagles squad for the 2018 World Cup.

The 33-year-old made two appearances off the bench against Argentina and South Korea at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa,

He has played for clubs based in Italy, England, Germany, Russia, Spain, United States and China.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel