Victor Moses has been ruled out of Nigeria’s friendly games against Senegal and Burkina Faso due to injury.
The Super Eagles play the Teranga Lions on Thursday and the Etalons on Monday.
The Chelsea star, who arrived the Super Eagles’ Hotel Crowne Plaza Ealing in London on Tuesday, was allowed to return to his club after showing a medical report which showed he was injured.
17 of the 25 players invited by Nigeria’s German manager, Gernot Rohr, are already in London for the matches.
With Moses’ absence, 24 players will now prosecute both matches.
The players in camp include Portugal-based Chidozie Awaziem, England–based Ahmed Musa, Carl Ikeme, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi and Isaac Success, Belgium–based Moses Simon, Turkey–based Ogenyi Onazi, Germany–based newcomer, Noah Joel Bazee, and the versatile Abdullahi Shehu from Cyprus.
The list rose to 17 with the arrivals of Leon Balogun, William Ekong, Tyronne Ebuehi, John Ogu, Kelechi Iheanacho, Kenneth Omeruo and Victor Moses.
On Tuesday, Austria–based former junior international forward Olanrewaju Kayode, called up in place of injured youngster Victor Osimhen, arrived, and was later joined by Sporting Gijon of Spain’s Elderson Echiejile.
Nigeria –based Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Oghenekaro Etebo (Portugal) and Musa Muhammed (Bosnia-Herzegovina) are expected on Wednesday (all delayed as a result of visa), while goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi (South Africa) can only arrive on Thursday as a public holiday in South Africa meant he could not collect his visa earlier. Kingsley Madu (Belgium) and Uche Agbo (Spain) are also delayed by visa.
Nigeria take on Senegal at The Hive, home ground of Barnet Football Club on Thursday, by 8 pm, and will be up against Burkina Faso at the same venue and time on Monday.
Both matches will be played as part of preparation for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series starting in June, as well as the remaining matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying race.
