Kenneth Omeruo’s return to European football has hit a frustrating roadblock, as CFR Cluj manager Dan Petrescu has confirmed the Super Eagles defender is battling a serious knee problem, Footynaija.com reports.
Omeruo, who was once on Chelsea’s books and famously represented Nigeria at two World Cups, joined the Romanian giants earlier this summer on a free transfer after leaving Turkish side Kasimpasa.
However, instead of hitting the ground running, the 31-year-old has yet to feature competitively and has not even trained fully with the squad.
Speaking to the media, Petrescu did not hold back.
“Omeruo is not ready. I do not know if you know, but he has a big problem with his knee,” he said, in a report by Romanian outlet ProSport.
“We are trying to solve his problem, trying to get him back on his feet. When he trains normally with the team, he will have a chance to play. Until then, he cannot train with the team.”
As revealed in the report, the injury issue is more serious than initially believed. While many fans saw Omeruo’s arrival as a major coup for the Romanian league, his inability to train or feature has cast early doubts on the move.
Omeruo spent several years contracted to Chelsea between 2012 and 2019, although he never made a Premier League appearance for the Blues. During that time, he had loan spells at Middlesbrough, Kasımpaşa, Alanyaspor, and Leganés, before sealing a permanent move to Spain and later returning to Turkey.
His last club, Kasimpasa, terminated his contract in February 2025, leaving him without a team for months before sealing a return to European football with CFR Cluj.