Brighton & Hove Albion winger Zadok Yohanna will miss the Super Eagles’ AFCON qualifying assignment later this month after being ruled out due to fitness concerns.
The teenage winger’s absence leaves Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle without the youngster for the upcoming qualifier as he continues to adapt to the demands of the Premier League.
Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler explained that Zadok had experienced a minor issue and needs more time to regain full fitness and adjust to the intensity of English top-flight football.
“He had a small issue, and I always say that players need time to adapt to the Premier League,” Hurzeler was quoted by Legit.ng as saying.
“He is an example of this. The intensity is different, and there are different demands. We have to be very careful with him. We will give him time until after the international break to adapt, and then hopefully after the international break he can contribute again.”
Zadok’s continued absence means Chelle will have to look elsewhere for options on the wings when Nigeria resumes its AFCON qualifying campaign.
The youngster’s return will now depend on how quickly he recovers his fitness and adapts to the physical demands of Premier League football.
