Former Fenerbahçe forward Bülent Uygun has urged patience with Victor Osimhen, saying the Galatasaray striker needs more time to regain his sharpness following his return from injury.
Uygun, who has also coached Sivasspor, believes the Nigerian forward is yet to recover full physical coordination and mental readiness, factors he says have contributed to his recent struggles in front of goal.
Osimhen sustained a groin strain in early September during Galatasaray’s 3-2 Turkish Süper Lig victory over İstanbul Başakşehir. The injury sidelined him for three consecutive club matches, including the European encounter against Sporting, and ruled him out of Nigeria’s October international fixtures against Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar.
The 27-year-old returned to action on October 9, providing an assist in Galatasaray’s 3-1 win over Kasımpaşa. However, he has since gone without a goal, failing to score in the 4-1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona on October 13 and the 1-0 league victory over Gençlerbirliği four days later.
Uygun suggested that Osimhen’s eagerness to make an immediate impact after his recovery, combined with visible frustration towards teammates, indicated that the striker was not yet back to his best.
“Even in the chances he got, he struggled to maintain his footwork in 4-5 steps. He is just returned from a serious injury, which is causing him to remain out of form,” Uygun said.
Osimhen, the 2023 African Player of the Year, remains a key figure for Galatasaray as he works towards rediscovering the goalscoring form that has made him one of Africa’s leading forwards.
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