Nigeria will be without seven players for Tuesday’s friendly against Russia at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) attributing the latest withdrawals to injuries and club decisions.
Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika, Moses Usor, Akpe Victory, Bright Osayi-Samuel and two other players have all pulled out of the squad for the match.
The NFF’s media department said Ndidi and Basel defender Akpe Victory would miss the fixture because of injuries.
Ndidi was forced off after sustaining a minor injury during Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Guinea-Bissau last week, according to the federation.
“The captain Wilfred Ndidi was forced to leave the field after sustaining a slight injury during last week’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Guinea-Bissau,” the NFF said in a statement.
“Victory Akpe, who plays in Switzerland, was unable to travel to Russia because of an injury.”
Three other players Onyedika, Osayi-Samuel and United Arab Emirates-based midfielder Ridwan Abdulrasaq Popoola were withdrawn after their clubs prevented them from joining the Nigeria squad.
“Midfielder Raphael Onyedika was denied access to Russia by his German club, Eintracht Frankfurt,” the statement added.
“Defender Bright Osayi-Samuel and midfielder Ridwan Abdulrasaq Popoola, who plays in the United Arab Emirates, were blocked by their respective clubs.”
The withdrawals have left Nigeria manager Chelle short of options ahead of the friendly. He responded by calling up Moses Usor at short notice after the forward scored his first Super Eagles goal in the 2-1 victory over Madagascar.
However, Usor will also be unavailable after his Austrian club LASK declined to release him for the match. The club is prioritising his return ahead of its next commitments.
The latest absences represent a further setback for Nigeria before their meeting with Russia, as the federation attempts to explain a second wave of changes to the squad. The NFF confirmed that the players’ withdrawals were caused either by fitness concerns or by their clubs’ refusal to release them for the fixture.