The injury suffered by Chidera Ejuke in the penultimate round of matches in the Russian Premier League was only a scare.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria international subbed out in the 82nd minute of CSKA Moscow's  2-0 win at FK Nizhny Novgorod on Monday after suffering a leg injury.

Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr would breathe a sign of relief as Ejuke's injury was not as bad as it first appeared to be.

Three English Premier League players Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo and Alex Iwobi have already withdrawn from the roster to face Central African Republic in the World Cup qualifiers due to injuries.

Ejuke was cleared to play against Krasnodar on Saturday evening and the fact that he lasted the distance means he is in good physical condition.

The crowd-pleaser was arguably the top performer in Nigeria's 2-1 win over Cape Verde in their second group match of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and is a reliable candidate to replace the unavailable Iwobi in the starting XI based on his recent performances for club and country.

In ten outings for the Army Men in the current season, Ejuke has directly participated in four goals (2 goals, 2 assists).

Ifeanyi Emmanuel