Nigeria striker Kelechi Iheanacho played well in Manchester City’s 1-0 UEFA Champions League second leg qualifier against Steaua Bucharest at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, but the game ended abruptly for the 19-year-old when he suffered an injury.
In the 76th minute the attacker pulled up with a hamstring injury after making an attempt to reach a through ball, and he has to be stretchered off the pitch.
The recovery time is yet unknown, as the player may need to have a scan to gauge the severity of the hamstring problem, but with the AFCON qualifier between Nigeria and Tanzania set for September 3, the talented youngster will miss the Super Eagles outing.
Even minor hamstring issues usually require a couple of weeks before a player is able to return to the pitch, and if the injury is more serious, he will need a longer recovery period.
Iheanacho seemed to be in a fair amount of discomfort following the injury, and he will likely be unavailable for new Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola in the coming weeks.
The young talent scored 14 goals during his debut English Premier League season, and will be a big loss for new Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr, who recently included him in the Super Eagles squad.