Super Eagles defender, Zaidu Sanusi, is expected to be sidelined for about two months after medical examinations confirmed an adductor injury in his right leg.
The FC Porto left-back picked up the injury during his side’s 3-0 victory over Académico de Viseu on Saturday and was forced to leave the pitch in the 17th minute.
Sanusi sustained the problem while attempting to play the ball.
Despite receiving treatment, he was unable to continue and was replaced by Martim Fernandes.
Further tests conducted on Sunday confirmed the extent of the injury, with Portuguese newspaper O Jogo reporting that the Nigerian is unlikely to return until after the next international break.
Porto had initially announced that Sanusi had been included in the club’s medical report and would undergo additional examinations to establish the severity of the setback.
Porto manager Francesco Farioli had already expressed concern about the injury after the match.
“Zaidu’s looks like something very serious, and Jan seems to have twisted his knee. We’ll see,” Farioli said, according to OneFootball.
The setback is a blow to Sanusi, who had featured for every minute of Porto’s league campaign before the weekend fixture.
The 29-year-old remains an important member of Farioli’s squad despite being in the final year of his contract.
His projected two-month absence could also see him miss Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches, which are due to begin next month.
Sanusi’s injury came on a day Porto continued their impressive start to the Portuguese league season.
Andre Silva, Gabri Veiga and William Gomes were on target as the club secured a fourth straight victory.
The win kept Porto at the top of the table with 12 points from four matches, two points clear of Sporting CP.
