Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is battling a thigh injury that puts his involvement in Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifying opener in doubt.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is racing against time to be fit for Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying opener, after picking up a thigh injury during Lazio’s Serie A opener against Bologna. It’s the third early-season injury blow to hit Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles squad this month.
Dele-Bashiru was substituted during Lazio’s opening Serie A fixture after feeling discomfort in the flexor muscles of his right thigh. Medical scans carried out midweek confirmed a first-degree flexor strain, according to AllNigeriaSoccer’s report citing Gazzetta dello Sport, with the midfielder expected to be sidelined for roughly 15 to 20 days.
That timeline puts his fitness for Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifying opener firmly in doubt. Nigeria have been drawn in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania, with the first matchday scheduled for 21 September. A 20-day recovery window would leave Dele-Bashiru with little to no match sharpness heading into that fixture, even in the best case.
Dele-Bashiru now joins Christantus Uche among the Super Eagles players dealing with fresh injury setbacks ahead of the qualifying window — we covered Uche’s own injury blow earlier this week. For a coach still settling into the job, back-to-back fitness concerns in central midfield are a genuine selection headache rather than a minor inconvenience.
Nigeria’s squad depth in midfield is one of the deeper areas of the team, so Chelle has options. However, losing a player of Dele-Bashiru’s energy and ball-carrying ability this close to a qualifying opener is still a blow, particularly against opposition set up to sit deep and frustrate Nigeria, as Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau are both likely to do.
Dele-Bashiru has not been officially ruled out of the qualifiers. His recovery over the coming two to three weeks will determine whether he travels with the squad in September. In the meantime, Nigerian fans can track the full qualifying picture, group standings and fixture dates in our AFCON 2027 qualifying guide.
What injury does Fisayo Dele-Bashiru have?
A first-degree strain to the flexor muscles of his right thigh, sustained during Lazio’s Serie A opener against Bologna.
How long will Dele-Bashiru be out?
Reports from Gazzetta dello Sport suggest a recovery window of roughly 15 to 20 days.
Will Dele-Bashiru miss Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifiers?
He hasn’t been officially ruled out, but his tight recovery timeline against a 21 September qualifying opener means his involvement is genuinely in doubt.
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