Asisat Oshoala will have to wait to add to her Barcelona goal tally after it was confirmed a thigh injury has ruled the striker out for 10 weeks.
Oshoala suffered an injury in her thigh, limping off in pain during Wednesday’s training in Abuja just two days to Nigeria’s 2-0 first leg win in the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifiers against Cote d’Ivoire last Friday. The unfortunate incident saw her cuspiously ruled out of the Super Falcons’ decisive doubleheader against the Ivorians.
Her latest injury is her second in the current 2021-22 season following the first last November when she ruptured her posterior cruciate ligament in her right knee in UEFA Women’s Champions League encounter against Hoffenheim.
Oshoala’s injury come as a huge blow to Nigeria and Barcelona as the Spanish champions prepare to be without the Nigerian and Mariona Caldentey for Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid in March.
Oshoala and Caldentey join the increasing list of injuries for coach Jonatan Giráldez, with forward Bruna Vilamala and defender Jane Fernandez already out of the current season, while Irene Paredes, Caroline Graham Hansen and Ana Crnogorcevic are weeks away from return as well.
Before her first injury, the 27-year-old had scored 11 goals in nine league games to top the league scorer chart. Upon her return on January 9, she scored eight goals in five games to increase her tally to 19 in 16 league appearances.
With two-and-half months out, the Super Falcons captain will surely miss the Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid, with that record 85,000 sold out second leg to be played at the Camp Nou on March 30.
With her current three-year permanent deal expiring this summer, the former Liverpool and Arsenal star will look to recover in time in a bid to earn a contract extension and also clinch her second career’s topscorer gong this season.
