Super Eagles defender, Leon Balogun did not train with the rest of the Nigeria squad on Thursday morning, and is now a major doubt for Saturday’s World Cup opener against Croatia.
The newly signed Brighton and Hove Albion defender was noticeably missing from the team’s last session in Essentuki, and team sources say he had gone for a scan.
If Balogun is unable to start on Saturday, Kenneth Omeruo is the most likely candidate to step in as replacement, though coach Gernot Rohr has toyed with both a back three and a back four in pre-tournament friendlies.
Injury denied the player a spot in Nigeria’s 2014 World Cup squad after he broke his foot on his debut against Mexico in March of that year.
He returned to the Super Eagles fold a year later and has struck up a functional understanding with William Troost-Ekong during Rohr’s tenure.