William Troost-Ekong, the captain of the Super Eagles, is progressing in his recovery from the injury he suffered during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, according to Soccernet.ng. Troost-Ekong sustained the injury during Nigeria's second group stage match against Cote d'Ivoire, despite scoring the winning goal for the Super Eagles. Following the injury, he sat out Nigeria's subsequent game against Guinea-Bissau but made a comeback during the knockout rounds, contributing as the Eagles advanced to the final.
Troost-Ekong showcased his prowess by scoring in both the semifinal and final matches, earning him the title of the tournament's Most Valuable Player. However, following thorough evaluation and consultations with medical experts post-AFCON, it was revealed that the 29-year-old defender had suffered a ruptured biceps femoris in his right leg. Consequently, he underwent surgery in Finland and was anticipated to be sidelined for the remainder of the season. Since returning from AFCON, Troost-Ekong hasn't featured for his club, PAOK FC, including missing the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarterfinal against Raphael Onyedika's Club Brugge. Despite Club Brugge securing a narrow 1-0 victory in that fixture, PAOK is determined to overturn the deficit and advance to the semifinals.
However, although PAOK confirmed that Troost-Ekong won't be part of the squad for the second leg of the match, they did provide an update on his rehabilitation. Instead of participating in team training, the Nigerian defender underwent physiotherapy and gym sessions. Despite this setback, Troost-Ekong remains a potential contender for Nigeria's important World Cup qualifiers in June against South Africa and Benin Republic. Failure in any of these matches could seriously jeopardize their qualification prospects.