Nigerian winger Kelechi Iheanacho gave Celtic fans a boost on Wednesday after being spotted in full training with the Scottish champions, a day ahead of their Europa League trip to Feyenoord.
The club shared images of the squad going through drills on its official social media accounts, showing Iheanacho actively participating in group exercises. It remains unclear whether interim manager Martin O’Neill will include the Super Eagles forward in the matchday squad for Rotterdam.
Iheanacho has been sidelined since injuring his hamstring in the opening minutes of Celtic’s 2-1 win over Sturm Graz on October 23, a setback that caused him to miss six consecutive matches, including the League Cup semi-final against Rangers.
Before the injury, the former Manchester City striker had begun settling well at Celtic Park, contributing four goal involvements in eight appearances across all competitions. He has not played for Nigeria since the Unity Cup clash against Jamaica, and the injury ended hopes of a recall for the World Cup qualifiers.
Under new Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle, Iheanacho is yet to feature in a competitive match.
In Italy, AC Milan could benefit significantly if Fulham decides to make Samuel Chukwueze’s loan move permanent. According to Soccernet.ng, the Serie A club stands to receive €23 million (around ₦39 billion) should the Cottagers exercise the option to buy next summer.
Chukwueze joined Fulham on transfer deadline day after falling out of favour at Milan. The deal includes an option, not an obligation, allowing Fulham to assess the winger’s fit under manager Marco Silva.
While his start in London was quiet, Chukwueze is gradually making an impact. He impressed last week against Sunderland, coming off the bench for his fifth Premier League appearance and delivering a lively 30-minute cameo that earned him the Man of the Match award, with Sofascore rating him the best player on the pitch. Silva is expected to give him a more prominent role if he maintains that level.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has confirmed that Nigerian defender Ola Aina is yet to return to full training ahead of the club’s Europa League clash against Malmö on Thursday.
Aina has been recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in September’s World Cup qualifier. The injury has kept him out of four recent Super Eagles matches, including key playoff fixtures in Morocco, as well as 14 club games for Forest.
Although Aina has shared videos of individual training, he has not yet resumed team sessions. Dyche commented on his condition:
“Ola Aina is not on the grass with us yet, he’s still going to take a bit of time.”
