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Galatasaray assistant coach İrfan Saraloğlu has explained why Victor Osimhen was given limited playing time on his return from injury in Friday’s 3-1 victory over Kasimpasa.
The Nigerian striker returned to action at Rams Park after recovering from an injury he sustained during Galatasaray’s 3-2 win over Istanbul Başakşehir in September.
Osimhen came off the bench with 13 minutes remaining, replacing Deniz Gul as the Turkish champions pushed to secure all three points.
Despite his brief appearance, the Super Eagles forward made an immediate impact by providing an assist for Gabonese midfielder Mario Lemina, who scored Galatasaray’s third goal in the closing stages.
However, Saraloğlu revealed that the team’s approach changed after Lucas Torreira was sent off shortly after the hour mark, forcing Galatasaray to retreat and adjust their defensive shape.
“Our game in the second half, after the card, we retreated a bit, our balance was disrupted, but I can say that Sanchez was out of the game when the goal came. They scored from that gap,” he told Galatasaray’s official website.
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The assistant coach also explained that Osimhen’s late introduction was a deliberate decision, with the club keen to manage his workload after his spell on the sidelines and avoid risking another setback.
“Osimhen just came back from injury, we had to protect him. We had to protect the players returning from national team duty too,” Saraloğlu added.
Osimhen will be encouraged by his productive return, having contributed directly to a goal despite playing only the final 13 minutes of the encounter.
The former Napoli striker had made an impressive start to the 2026/27 campaign before his injury, scoring six goals and providing two assists across four matches against Corum FK, Erzurumspor FK, Göztepe and Istanbul Başakşehir.
With his fitness gradually being managed, Osimhen will now look to regain full match sharpness and build on his early-season form as Galatasaray continue their campaign.
