Usor Faces Injury Scare After Champions League Assist

Super Eagles forward Moses Usor suffered an injury scare during LASK’s 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, raising concerns over his availability for Nigeria’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The 24-year-old Nigerian was substituted in the 75th minute after reportedly sustaining an injury at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, Austria. However, the severity of the problem and the expected recovery period had not been confirmed as of Thursday.

Usor had earlier contributed an assist, delivering the corner kick from which Kasper Jørgensen scored LASK’s opening goal in the 19th minute.

Jørgensen later doubled the advantage, while Samuel Adeniran scored the fourth goal as the Austrian side secured a convincing victory.

The result marked LASK’s second win in four Champions League league-phase matches, taking the club to 15th position with six points. Slovan Bratislava, meanwhile, remained without a point after losing all four of their matches.

Usor’s injury comes at an important time for Nigeria, with the Super Eagles scheduled to host Tanzania in Uyo on Friday, November 13, before travelling to Dar es Salaam for the return fixture on Tuesday, November 17.

Head coach Eric Chelle is expected to announce his squad for the double-header in the coming days, making the outcome of LASK’s medical assessment particularly significant.

The forward is among the new additions to Nigeria’s squad and made an immediate impression on his international debut against Madagascar in Uyo on September 25, scoring the winning goal after coming on as a substitute.

He also enjoyed an impressive campaign for LASK last season, recording 15 goals and five assists in 35 competitive appearances.

Nigeria have three points from their opening two qualifying matches, trailing group leaders Guinea-Bissau, who have six points.

Usor’s fitness will therefore be closely monitored as the Super Eagles prepare for the two fixtures, with his attacking contribution potentially important to the team's qualification campaign.