Zaidu Sanusi Set To Miss 2 Months After Injury Blow

Super Eagles defender Zaidu Sanusi is expected to spend about two months on the sidelines after sustaining an adductor injury during Porto’s 3-0 victory over Académico de Viseu on Saturday.

Medical examinations carried out on Sunday, August 30, reportedly confirmed the extent of the injury, with reports from Portugal indicating that the 29-year-old may not return to action until after the next international break.

Sanusi was forced to leave the game in the 17th minute after appearing to suffer the injury while attempting to play the ball. Although he received treatment on the pitch, he was unable to continue, with Martim Fernandes coming on as his replacement.

Porto had earlier confirmed that the Nigerian left-back had been included on the club’s medical report and would undergo further examinations to determine the severity of the setback.

Porto manager Francesco Farioli expressed concern over Sanusi’s condition after the match, suggesting that the injury could be significant.

The setback is a major blow for Sanusi, who had featured for the full duration of Porto’s league matches before Saturday’s fixture. The defender remains an important member of Farioli’s squad despite having entered the final year of his contract with the Portuguese club.

According to Ireporter Online, Sanusi’s projected two-month absence could prevent him from featuring in Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the qualifying campaign scheduled to commence in September.

The injury occurred on a day Porto continued their impressive start to the domestic campaign. Goals from Andre Silva, Gabri Veiga and William Gomes secured a fourth successive league victory for the club.

The result kept Porto at the top of the standings with 12 points from four matches, giving them a two-point advantage over Sporting CP.