Celtic head coach Wilfried Nancy has commented on Kelechi Iheanacho‘s injury issues ahead of the Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 campaign, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 29-year-old suffered a hamstring problem a month ago in the Hoops UEFA Europa League clash against Sturm Graz.
Since then, he has not featured for the Record Scottish Champions, and his recovery date is currently unknown.
Nancy, who recently took over from Martin O’Neill on the Hoops touchline, has now weighed in on Iheanacho’s fitness after the former Sevilla forward was included in Eric Chelle’s 54-man preliminary squad for the AFCON 2025.
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Iheanacho back in Celtic training
Ahead of Celtic’s UEFA Europa League clash against AS Roma at Celtic Park tonight, Nancy insists he won’t rush Iheanacho into the thick of things.
“He [Iheanacho] has trained well. After that, he needs minutes. It has been a long time, two months since he really played,” the Frenchman said in quotes revealed by the Daily Record.
“The way we work with the players who have not played regularly, we try to get them through physical work to get back into the rhythm.
“For the moment, obviously, he is not fit to play a lot of minutes, but a few minutes, yes. I have to understand that, also in the past, they did not rotate much.
“So I have done my work on that. I believe we have the players to do that, but it has to be step by step.”
Can Iheanacho make Chelle’s AFCON 2025 final squad list?
The one-time FA Cup winner had a good start to life at Celtic after he joined from Sevilla on a free in the summer transfer window.
He scored three goals and provided an assist in his first six games under former manager Brendan Rodgers.
However, the hamstring injury he suffered against Sturm Graz has set him back in terms of form and fitness.
Looking at the stacked attackers Nigeria possesses, it’s almost impossible for Kelechi Iheanacho to be a part of the final 28-man list that’ll make it to Morocco in ten days.
Victor Osimhen is an undisputed starter, while Paul Onuachu is in the form of his life this season.
Akor Adams, Tolu Arokodare and Cyriel Dessers also seem to have been regulars in the Nigerian team since Eric Chelle took over in January, meaning Iheanacho’s chances of getting into the team are next to nothing.
Nigeria have been drawn into AFCON 2025 Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda. They kick off their campaign by facing Tanzania on the 23rd of December at the Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fez, Morocco.