Super Eagles‘ head coach Eric Chelle faces a challenging dilemma following the injury setback of a key player ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff fixtures.
Cyriel Dessers is currently battling against the clock to recover in time for Nigeria‘s vital World Cup qualifying matches scheduled for next month, with his ongoing ankle injury casting serious doubt over his availability.
Initially named in the squad for the October qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin, Dessers had to withdraw after failing to fully recover from the injury.
Details of Dessers’ Injury
The striker sustained the ankle injury during Panathinaikos‘ Europa League clash with Young Boys.
Further medical assessments have revealed that the injury is more serious than initially anticipated, with an estimated recovery period of at least four weeks.
This prognosis effectively rules Dessers out of Nigeria’s crucial playoff encounter against Gabon in November.
Having recently cemented his place as a regular starter for the Super Eagles, Dessers was also part of the squad for the September qualifiers.
In those qualifiers, he featured in two matches and netted a goal against South Africa.
Although there remains a faint possibility of Dessers returning for Panathinaikos’ derby against PAOK in November-just days before Nigeria’s playoff game-his lack of full match fitness would make his inclusion a risky decision for coach Chelle.