Galatasaray of Turkey new signing, Oghenekaro Etebo has been rule out of this week’s UEFA Europa League clash with Nefti Baku of Azerbaijan, even as worries are also spreading over the possibility of the lad on loan from Stoke City of England getting his debut next weekend.
Megasportsarena.com reports that, after failing to get into the squad for this past weekend’s domestic fixture in the Turkish Super Lig, expectations had been high among Galatasaray’s fans that the Super Eagles’ battler would be ready to tango Baku on Thursday, but that also now appears farfetched.
The former Warri Wolves of Delta State, Feirense of Portugal as well as Las Palmas and Getafe of Spain star was last week unveiled by Galatasaray, following his arrival from Stoke in a year’s loan agreement, but Gala’s fans will have to wait much longer before seeing him in their jersey on account of his current battles with low levels of fitness.
Details of the report out of Istanbul revealed further that the Rio 2016 Olympic Games bronze medalist, 2018 World Cup revelation and member of Nigeria’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations third placed squad has not been going through full training since June 15 due to some constraints.
Consequently, Galatasaray have arranged for him to go through a special training routine that will run for 10 days, in their bid to ensure a return to full fitness for Etebo, who was for the second half of last season on loan from Stoke to Getafe.
During his second tenure in Spain, the 24-year-old Etebo managed to convert a single goal in 11 appearances, but he had earlier recorded two goals and an assist in 51 games for Stoke, which he joined in 2018 from Feirense on a transfer fee of €7.2m.
Gala’s coach, Fatih Terim will now seek alternatives in midfield during Thursday’s match without Etebo, who will be specially trained under the watchful eye of an American fitness trainer, Scott Piri, during a special training programme that should knock the battler back into top shape ahead of the Lig battle with Medipol Başakşehir this Saturday.
