Nwaiwu suffers thigh injury in Trabzonspor win, super eagles hopes in jeopardy

Nigerian defender Chibuike Nwaiwu is set for a spell on the sidelines after Trabzonspor confirmed he sustained a thigh injury during Friday’s 3-1 Turkish Super Lig victory over Fatih Karagümrük, Sport360NG reports.

In a statement released on Monday, the Turkish club disclosed that medical examinations and an MRI scan revealed bleeding and edema in the inner thigh muscles of the 22-year-old’s left leg. Although no timeline has been given for his return, Nwaiwu has commenced treatment under the supervision of the club’s medical staff.

The setback comes at an unfortunate time for the centre-back, who had delivered one of his standout performances in the same match. He struck twice shortly after the restart, scoring in the 47th and 50th minutes to help secure all three points for Trabzonspor. His second goal was assisted by fellow Nigerian Paul Onuachu, highlighting an impressive display before Nwaiwu was replaced by Mathias Løvik in the 73rd minute.

Since completing a January move from Wolfsberger AC, Nwaiwu has made nine appearances for Trabzonspor, contributing three goal involvements and establishing himself as a key defensive option.

The injury could also derail his international ambitions. Nwaiwu had reportedly been under consideration by Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle for a four-nation invitational tournament scheduled later this month. However, the latest development casts serious doubt over his chances of receiving a maiden senior national team call-up.