Danger may be looming for the Super Eagles less than two months before their first game at the 2018 World Cup after one of the central defenders certain to be named in the starting line-up was demoted by his Turkish club.

The player in question is none other than Bursaspor's William Troost-Ekong, who was named in the match day squad against Karabukspor but remained an unused substitute for the second consecutive game.

Troost-Ekong is now behind West Brom linked Turkey U21 star Ertuğrul Ersoy and Cristian Chagas Tarouco in the pecking order of central defenders at Bursaspor.

The Super Eagle's new role on the bench has coincided with the dismissal of French coach Paul Le Guen, who approved his signing from Gent in July 2017.

Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr has so much faith in Troost-Ekong as he is the only player to have started and completed every single game, thirteen in total including the World Cup qualifier vs Algeria, since the German was appointed coach.

The former Netherlands youth international was surprisingly given the captain's armband for the Super Eagles pre-World Cup friendly against Poland last month ahead of senior players Victor Moses and Joel Obi.

In the current season, the former Tottenham Hotspur youth-teamer has started 25 games from a possible 30 in the Turkish Super Lig, logging 2,198 minutes in the process.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel