Bursaspor head coach, Mustafa Er, has eased concerns over Super Eagles forward, Kelechi Iheanacho’s fitness, revealing that his substitution during Sunday’s 4-2 victory over Keçiörengücü was a precautionary measure after he picked up a minor knock.
The 30-year-old striker received medical attention before leaving the pitch, raising concerns among supporters of the Turkish 1. Lig leaders.
However, Er clarified that the injury was not serious and that the decision to withdraw the forward was made to avoid aggravating the problem.
“Kelechi has a litte problem. We did not want to push too hard,” Er said in quotes by Turkish publication Bursahakimiyet.
“He wanted to continue but we did not want to risk it. We were already ahead 4-2, and we had the score.”
Before his substitution, Iheanacho found the net five minutes into the second half, scoring Bursaspor’s third goal of the match.
The strike extended his remarkable scoring run to 12 consecutive league matches, underlining his importance to the team’s campaign.
Lewis Baker also scored for Bursaspor, while Brazilian midfielder Lincoln netted the fourth goal in the 66th minute after setting up the earlier goals.
Lincoln was, however, sent off in the 84th minute after receiving two bookings in quick succession, forcing the hosts to finish the match with 10 players.
The victory marked Bursaspor’s third consecutive league win and their fourth in five matches, further strengthening their position in the promotion race.
Bursaspor moved above Kayserispor to the top of the Turkish 1. Lig standings, accumulating 28 points from 12 matches.
