Injury Rules Nigerian Defender Sanusi Out For Season
Super Eagles of Nigeria and FC Porto defender Zaidu Sanusi is set to face a long spell on the sidelines, with the Portuguese club announcing that the player will be out for the rest of the season.
This news comes as a significant setback for both the player and the national team and FC Porto, potentially impacting their upcoming UEFA Champions League match against Arsenal and international commitments.
Sanusi, 27, suffered a ligament injury during FC Porto’s 2-0 victory over Estrella da Amadora on Saturday night, forcing him off the field in the 37th minute of the match. He is expected to undergo surgery in the coming days after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the external lateral ligament of his left knee.
“I think it’s serious. It comes from a clear, clean foul, in front of the penalty area. This play resulted in Zaidu’s injury,” FC Porto coach Sérgio Conceição said in a statement on the club’s official website. “We are having some bad luck with the refereeing teams.”
“We are all sad for Zaidu, I think the season is over for him and we are shaken by the situation, knowing it was avoidable. It was a clear foul that created some danger and we were without the player for the rest of the season.”
The left-back recently returned from a successful outing with the Super Eagles at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where Nigeria finished second ahead of hosts Cote d’Ivoire.
Sanusi had only played just four matches this season for the Portuguese side before he joined Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the AFCON.
The Nigerian’s absence will undoubtedly be felt by both FC Porto and the Super Eagles, as they prosecute their respective upcoming engagements without the talented left-back.
