November 12, (THEWILL) – Porto head coach Sergio Conceicao has provided an update on the fitness of Nigerian left-back, Zaidu Sanusi, after he was left out of the Super Eagles squad for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe this month.
Sanusi only recently returned from a seven-week injury layoff but there were still concerns over his match fitness, having been substituted early in Porto’s 2-1 win away at Vitoria Guimaraes on Saturday night.
26-year-old Sanusi had opened the scoring for Porto with a 39th-minute header, his first goal of the 2023/2024 season in just his sixth appearance. However, he was replaced in the 54th minute after seeming to be in discomfort following a heavy challenge. Conceicao explained: “He had a strong stomp. He was in difficulty and before that, I felt he wasn’t doing so well. We cannot forget the time off, the two games he played after the injury and finding a competitive rhythm is never easy.”
Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro opted to select Jamilu Collins, Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey and Bruno Onyemaechi as options at left-back instead of Sanusi for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Sanusi had only returned to action last week after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, playing against Antwerp in the UEFA Champions League.
The injury setback came at an inopportune time for Sanusi, who had been hoping to regain his spot as Nigeria’s first-choice left-back. He now faces a race against time to improve his fitness and force his way back into contention under Peseiro. Sanusi will be eager to prove his worth for club and country when fully fit again, but Porto seem set to carefully manage his return to avoid any further aggravation.
Porto ultimately claimed a 2-1 victory away at Guimaraes, thanks to a Stephen Eustaquio winner in the second half. The result leaves Porto third in the Primeira Liga table after 11 matches, three points behind leaders Sporting CP.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
