Nigeria Super Eagles is set to miss striker Victor Boniface for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cote d’Ivoire which begins on Saturday.
The Bayer Leverkusen forward picked up a muscular injury during a training session in the Eagles camp in United Arab Emirates.
Boniface, who missed the team’s friendly games against Al Gharib and Guinea, will not take part in the AFCON tournament.
The 23-year-old will leave the Eagles camp and travel to Germany to begin his treatment to correct the injury.
Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro will have to depend on Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Real Sociedad’s Umar Sadiq, who are the only fit strikers in the squad at the moment, as Leicester City’s forward Kelechi Iheanacho is also struggling to be fit for the AFCON.
The three-time winners will begin their group A campaign against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, January 14, before facing hosts Cote d’Ivoire in 4 days times and Guinea Bissau in their last group game.