Galatasaray coach: Osimhen hasn't trained fully since Super Eagles duty but in frame for Liverpool

Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has hinted that Victor Osimhen could be in line to face Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League next Tuesday.

The Nigerian forward made his return from injury in the club's 1-0 win over Alanyaspor at the Bahçeşehir Okulları Arena on Friday night.

Osimhen came on for Barış Alper Yılmaz in the closing stages, featuring for the final five minutes as part of his gradual recovery ahead of the Liverpool clash at Rams Park.

In his post-match conference, Buruk explained the reasoning behind giving the striker late minutes on the pitch.

"We wanted to play him for ten minutes today. We wanted him to experience the pain," Buruk revealed.  

"Sometimes there's pain, and it's important to through pain. He's not 100% physically ready. He hasn't had a team training session since returning from the national team."

With his return, Buruk stated that the Nigerian international could feature against Liverpool, as the Yellow-Reds continue to monitor his recovery.

"He played with us briefly yesterday (on Thursday). We'll assess his pain and physical condition before thinking about the next match.

"Baris might have wanted a winger there when he came off today, but I specifically brought Osimhen on so he could play 10 minutes, have a chance to play the next match, and contribute to us."

He further stressed the importance of giving Osimhen minutes at the end of the match, pointing out that the game time is crucial for his readiness to face the Reds.

"We may have changed our formation and had trouble covering the opposition. However we're taking these risks to ensure he plays," he added.

Osimhen was in brilliant form for the Yellow-Reds before picking up an injury, having found the net in each of his first two starts of the season.

He will now be aiming for a swift recovery in order to feature against Liverpool, as the club looks to bounce back in Europe following their defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.

Adeyemi Adewale

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