Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong is expected to miss the rest of the current season as he prepares to undergo surgery to repair a ruptured biceps femoris in his right leg, according to BBC's Oluwashina Okeleji.
“William Troost-Ekong was re-examined, which confirmed the initial diagnosis,” PAOK Manager Razvan Lucescu told the press earlier today.
“The Nigerian has suffered a third-degree contusion and will undergo surgery tomorrow (Tuesday) to repair his injury.”
Troost-Ekong reportedly picked up the injury in Nigeria's second Africa Cup of Nations group-stage clash.
Still, the skipper showed great determination to carry on for the remainder of the tournament where he led his side to the final with three goals to his name, becoming the highest-scoring defender in AFCON history.
William Troost-Ekong had a very good AFCON but most didn't know that he was almost frozen out of the team despite his huge experience.
Now in the bag for him,
– Best Player at AFCON 2023
-Highest-scoringg defender in the history of the AFCON.He was a leader on & off the… pic.twitter.com/qzf0FHRyHo
— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) February 19, 2024
The defender's heroics have since seen him linked with a move to Saudi Arabia but Ekong is currently focused on getting himself back to full fitness.
His injury comes as a big blow for current club side PAOK, who remain firmly in contention for the Greece Super League title as they sit just one point adrift of AEK Athens at the top of the pile.
Latest Troost-Ekong revelation echoes undying commitment to Super Eagles
Not only did Troost-Ekong play through a pain barrier, but he also put up a series of impressive performances throughout the competition and was consequently named AFCON MVP despite losing in the final against tournament hosts Ivory Coast.
He was not the only player to have risked his body while on duty with the Super Eagles as Ola Aina and Zaidu Sanusi also featured in the final despite not being fully fit.
Ekong will be a big loss for Nigeria when they face off against world champions Argentina in a friendly matchup next month but the 30-year-old is expected to be back for June's World Cup qualifying double-header against South Africa and Benin Republic.
This article was most recently revised and updated 8 months ago
