Victor Osimhen Starts for Galatasaray to Make His Debut vs Rizespor
- Victor Osimhen is set to make his Galatasaray debut after joining on loan from Napoli
- Okan Buruk named the Super Eagles forward in the XI for the match day four affair
- Former Inter Milan forward Mauro Icardi totally misses out from the matchday squad
Victor Osimhen is set to make his Galatasaray debut against Rizespor after manager Okan Buruk named him in the starting lineup for the match day four encounter.
Osimhen joined the Turkish champions on a season-long loan from Napoli after seeing his proposed move to Chelsea collapsed on the European deadline day.
Source: Getty Images
Galatasaray will be looking to make it four in four wins against Rizespor, having won their opening three games as they begin their title defence after a keenly contested race against Fenerbahce last season.
Osimhen starts from the bench
As seen in photos shared on social media, the Nigerian forward resumed training for the first time on Thursday, two days after helping the Super Eagles draw 0-0 against Rwanda.
He showed no rustiness during the international break despite not playing competitive football since the end of the 2024/25 Italian Serie A season, in which Napoli finished ninth.
Head coach Okan Buruk opted to name Osimhen in the starting lineup for the encounter as seen in the lineup shared on club's official Instagram account, with Mauro Icardi dropping out of the matchday squad.
The former LOSC Lille star is trusted to start despite resuming on Thursday and he is expected to help Gala maintain their winning start to their title defence.
Arsenal rejected chance to sign Osimhen
Legit.ng reported that Arsenal rejected the chance to sign Victor Osimhen before the Super Eagles forward completed a season-long loan move to Galatasaray.
He joined the Turkish champions after most interested clubs could either not afford the cost of his transfer or offered him wages ridiculously below his demands.
How Buruk convinced Osimhen
Legit.ng also reported how Buruk convinced Osimhen to join Galatasaray on loan despite the striker rejecting a similar offer from Premier League club Chelsea in the summer.
The Turkish manager claimed he presented his idea of playing with two strikers to the reigning African Footballer of the Year, and it was enough to convince him.
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Source: Legit.ng
