Inter Milan of Italy wing-back, Victor Moses was cast in doubt for his club’s league match on Sunday after the 29-year-old star was diagnosed with a fitness problem after undergoing a medical examination on Friday, with Watford of England striker, Isaac Success facing a similar situation in the English Premier League.
While Moses is a doubt for Inter’s Serie A fixture against Bologna on Sunday, Success was ruled out of Watford’s trip London to battle Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, as the embattled all-action attacker was said to be recovering from an Achilles injury that also kept him out of The Hornets’ last three matches against Leicester City, Burnley and Southampton.
Megasportsarena.com reports that the injury-prone UAE 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup gold medalist had previously missed 24 games in the EPL this season due to fitness issues and loss of form, hence his continued absences for Watford, who have only point from nine since the season restarted and occupy 17th position.
It was a different story the night before in England’s lower division, as Nnamdi Ofoborh scored for Wycombe Wanderers in a 4-1 win over Fleetwood Town at Highbury Stadium, thereby putting his side in pole position to reach the League One promotion play-off final.
The 20-year-old Ofoborh, who is on loan from Bournemouth, gave The Chairboys a dream start when his left-footed strike from the edge of the box hit the net after just one minute and he then went on to get 87 minutes on the pitch, while Adebayo Akinfenwa played the last three minutes as a substitute for Fred Onyedinma.
Also in the lower division English Championship, Josh Onomah struck a 94th-minute winner for Fulham, as they defeated Birmingham City 1-0 at home to boost their promotion aspirations on Saturday.
The Nigerian-born midfielder got off The Cottagers’ bench on the hour, with neither side getting clear-cut chances, but the 23-year-old Onomah was first to react in the box to a cross from the right by Harrison Reed and finished in added time coolly past Lee Camp.
In Sweden, Alhassan Yusuf, who has been linked with a transfer away from IFK Gothenburg this summer, again caught the eye as he bossed the midfield and helped his club snatch a stoppage time winner against AIK Solna.
The 19-year-old former Awa United of Uyo battler, who has been linked with Ajax Amsterdam of Holland, FC Copenhagen of Denmark, RSC Anderlecht of Belgium as well as Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United of England, helped his side go fourth on the table.
In Norway, Peter Godly Michael’s first-half brace could not save Oeygarden FK from losing 4-3 against Sandnes Ulf on the opening day of the Norwegian First Division, during a match in which he opened scoring at Øster Hus Arena, Sandness.
Michael first struck a 12th minute goal, then put his side 2-1 up at minute 34, after his earlier effort was cancelled out in the seven-goal thriller; but the story in Latvia was different for Tolu Arokodare, who continues to catch the eye in the Virsliga.
The 19-year-old Arokodare, who has hit the net in each of his last three games for Valmiera FK, netted a crucial equaliser in the 79th minute to help his side force a 2-2 draw with Spartaks Jūrmala.
Similarly, Emmanuel David took his tally to three goals for the season with a 92nd minute strike that helped Kauno Zalgiris secure a 2-0 win against Panevezys, after the 18-year-old striker, who joined Kauno Zalgiris in February, got off the bench in the 61st minute.
In Portugal, Mikel Ndubuisi Agu helped Vitoria de Guimaraes to a 2-0 win over his former club, Vitoria Setubal, as the combative midfielder, who has been out injured, returned to the starting 11 for the first time in six months, as the hosts eyed a win to boost their slim European chances.
In Italy, the Italian Serie B came alive with three goals from Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo (Simy), as he netted his first career hat-trick in Europe to help Crotone register a 3-0 win against already promoted Benevento, who are keen on signing John Mikel Obi this month.
His efforts helped maintain Crotone in second spot on the Serie B log and keep alive their bright promotion hope, as they push for a return to the top-flight Serie A, where they struggled before they were relegated in the 2017/18 season.
His current tally of 16 goals puts him a goal short of joint-top scorers Pietro Iemmello of Perugia and Trapani’s Stefano Pettinari on the Serie B top scorer’s chart, as the ex-Gil Vicente of Portugal hitman continues to show class in the second tier with an impressive record that is reminiscent of his highest scoring days in the Portuguese second-tier league.
‘Simy’ struck in the 14th, 18th and 71st minutes to take his tally for the season to 17 goals from 32 games in all competitions; but the story in the top-flight Serie A is different, following the injury verdict Victor Moses received after having a medical examination at Humanitas Research Hospital in Rozzano on Friday.
The check-up confirmed the problem in his left thigh, two days after the former Super Eagles’ star was in action for 69 minutes of his team’s 6-0 victory over Brescia, before he was replaced by Antonio Candreva.
Moses had been hoping to continue his recent return to flowing form with another starting spot against Bologna on Sunday, but Inter Milan confirmed that the 29-year-old 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner is bound to miss the game at San Siro Stadium.
Inter disclosed on social media: “Victor Moses was examined this morning at the Humanitas Research Hospital in Rozzano. Tests showed he is suffering from some muscle fatigue in his left thigh flexors.”
