Intrigue in the Turkish Super Lig: Osimhen's injury opens the door for Shomurodov and Salah

7 November 2026, 15:48·13·Sport

The biggest star and attacking leader of the Turkish Super Lig leaders Galatasaray, Victor Osimhen, has suffered a serious and unexpected injury, sidelining him for an indefinite period.

According to the Istanbul giant's press service, the Nigerian national team striker sustained a severe knee injury during a Champions League match. After assessing the extent of the injury, doctors decided to perform surgery on the player on November 7. It remains unknown when Osimhen will return to the pitch.

A disastrous night against Stuttgart and a ligament tear

This unfortunate event occurred during a match in the UEFA Champions League:

Defeat and injury: On November 3, the German club Stuttgart defeated Galatasaray 2-0 on their home turf (both goals for the Germans were scored by Russian national team midfielder Aleksey Batrakov);
Medical report: It was in this match that Osimhen tore ligaments in his left knee, and doctors deemed emergency surgery necessary;
A fantastic season halted: Before the injury, the Nigerian striker had appeared in 11 matches for Galatasaray, scoring 10 goals and providing 3 assists (8 of which were in domestic league matches).

Intrigue in the top scorer race: Opportunity for Eldor Shomurodov

Victor Osimhen's absence is bound to have a serious impact on the top scorer race in the Turkish Super Lig:

Nigerian duo in the lead: Currently, two Nigerian strikers — Victor Osimhen and Gift Orban — are leading the league's top scorer list with 9 goals each;
Shomurodov and Salah in pursuit: Uzbekistan national team captain Eldor Shomurodov and Egyptian star Mohamed Salah have 8 goals each, trailing the leaders by just one goal;
Expert predictions: Experts believe that if Osimhen misses a significant number of games due to his recovery process, he will inevitably drop out of the race for the Golden Boot. This, in turn, creates a favorable opportunity for Eldor Shomurodov and Salah to claim the title of the league's top scorer.