Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen was among three Nigeria players absent from Super Eagles training on Thursday, Soccernet.ng reports.
This development comes even as head coach Éric Chelle ordered his squad to train behind closed doors ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 clash against Mozambique.
Osimhen, alongside Cyriel Dessers and Ryan Alebiosu, did not take part in the session as Nigeria rounded off the year in Fes, where preparations are intensifying for Monday night’s knockout fixture.
The decision to shut out the media points to Chelle’s determination to limit distractions as the tournament enters its decisive phase.
While the absence of Dessers and Alebiosu is linked to injury, Osimhen’s situation is different.
Nigeria’s most valuable player is not injured, with no medical bulletin issued by the team’s doctors, and his non-appearance is believed to be part of a workload-management plan by the coaching staff.
Osimhen has carried a heavy burden at this AFCON and has been one of the tournament’s standout performers for Nigeria.
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Injuries hit Dessers, Alebiosu as Osimhen workload managed
The former Napoli striker has been central to Nigeria’s perfect group-stage campaign in Morocco.
Osimhen scored in the dramatic 3-2 win over Tunisia on matchday two and captained the side in the 3-1 victory over Uganda, stepping in for the rested Wilfred Ndidi. Alongside Fulham defender Calvin Bassey, Osimhen is one of only two players to start all three group matches.
With Nigeria set to face tricky Mozambique, Chelle appears keen to protect his talisman ahead of the more physically demanding knockout rounds.
The picture is more concerning for Cyriel Dessers. The Panathinaikos striker is nursing a thigh injury and has yet to feature at the tournament. He was scheduled to undergo scans earlier in the week, but the results have not been made public.
Nigeria, however, have coped well in his absence, with Akor Adams and Paul Onuachu providing goals and presence in attack.
Defender Ryan Alebiosu could also be a notable loss. The Blackburn Rovers full-back suffered a leg laceration against Uganda and missed recovery training. Alebiosu impressed on his Super Eagles debut at right-back, having been drafted in to replace Ola Aina before the tournament.
Initial fears suggested his AFCON campaign could be over, but Blackburn have since indicated the injury is not as serious as first thought, leaving open the possibility of a return later in the competition, should Nigeria progress further.
Both Alebiosu and Dessers are expected to miss Monday’s game against Mozambique.
Chelle shuts out media as Nigeria chase quarter-final place
Chelle has barred media access to training sessions on Thursday and Friday, insisting he needs uninterrupted time with his players. Controlled media access will resume over the weekend.
Nigeria arrive at the Round of 16 as one of the most exciting teams at AFCON 2025, having won all three group matches and scored a tournament-high eight goals.
They face Mozambique on Monday night at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, with a quarter-final place at stake and Chelle making it clear that preparation, not noise, is his priority.