Galatasaray assistant coach İrfan Saraloğlu has explained why Victor Osimhen was handed limited minutes on his return from injury, after the Nigerian striker provided an assist in the club’s 3-1 victory over Kasimpasa on Friday night.
Osimhen returned to action at Rams Park after recovering from the injury he sustained during Galatasaray’s 3-2 victory over Istanbul Başakşehir in September.
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The Super Eagles forward came off the bench in the closing stages, replacing Deniz Gul with 13 minutes remaining as the Turkish champions looked to secure all three points.
Despite his limited time on the pitch, Osimhen made an immediate impact, setting up Gabonese midfielder Mario Lemina for Galatasaray’s decisive third goal in the closing minutes.
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However, Saraloğlu revealed that the team’s approach changed after Lucas Torreira was sent off shortly after the hour mark, forcing Galatasaray to retreat and adjust their defensive shape.
“Our game in the second half, after the card, we retreated a bit, our balance was disrupted, but I can say that Sanchez was out of the game when the goal came. They scored from that gap,” he told Galatasaray’s official website.
The assistant coach also explained that Osimhen’s late introduction was a deliberate decision, with the club keen to manage his workload after his spell on the sidelines and avoid risking another setback.
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“Osimhen just came back from injury, we had to protect him. We had to protect the players returning from national team duty too,” Saraloğlu added.
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Osimhen will be encouraged by his productive return, having contributed directly to a goal despite playing only the final 13 minutes of the encounter.
The former Napoli striker had made an impressive start to the 2026/27 campaign before his injury, scoring six goals and providing two assists across four matches against Corum FK, Erzurumspor FK, Göztepe and Istanbul Başakşehir.
With his fitness gradually being managed, Osimhen will now look to regain full match sharpness and build on his early-season form as Galatasaray continue their campaign.
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