Former Fenerbahçe forward Bülent Uygun has said Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen needs time to regain his sharpness after returning from injury, insisting the Nigerian is not yet ready physically or mentally.

Uygun, who has also managed Sivasspor, believes the striker’s current slump stems from a lack of physical coordination and a poor mindset.

The 27-year-old, the 2023 African Player of the Year, has struggled to rediscover his goalscoring rhythm since coming back.

Osimhen suffered a groin strain in early September during Galatasaray’s 3-2 Süper Lig win over İstanbul Başakşehir. The injury kept him out of three straight club games, including the European clash with Sporting. It also ruled him out of Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar during the October international break.

He returned with an assist in a 3-1 win over Kasımpaşa on October 9, but has not scored since. He failed to find the net in a 4-1 Champions League defeat away to Barcelona on October 13, and again in a 1-0 win away to Gençlerbirliği on October 17.

Uygun said Osimhen’s eagerness to do too much after the injury, together with his body’s poor coordination and his habit of showing frustration towards teammates, shows he is not ready. He added that the striker struggled even when chances came his way.

“Even in the chances he got, he struggled to maintain his footwork in 4-5 steps. He is just returned from a serious injury, which is causing him to remain out of form,” Uygun said.