Bursaspor head coach Mustafa Er has eased concerns about Kelechi Iheanacho’s fitness. He said the Nigeria forward was taken off as a precaution after getting a knock in Sunday’s 4-2 win over Keçiörengücü, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Iheanacho got treatment from the medical team before leaving the field, which made fans anxious. Er reassured everyone that the issue was not serious.
“Kelechi has a little problem. We did not want to push too hard,” Er said, as reported by Turkish publication Bursahakimiyet.
“He wanted to continue but we did not want to risk it. We were already ahead 4-2, and we had the score.”
The 30-year-old player scored his team’s third goal just five minutes into the second half. He got the ball on the edge of the box, dribbled into space, and shot into the net to make it 3-2.
This goal means he has scored in 12 league games in a row. So far this season, he has 16 goals and three assists in 12 games.
Lewis Baker also scored for Bursaspor, and Brazilian midfielder Lincoln added the fourth goal in the 66th minute after assisting earlier goals.
Lincoln was sent off in the 84th minute after getting two yellow cards in quick succession. This left Bursaspor with 10 players for the final moments of the match.
The win was Bursaspor’s third straight victory in the league and their fourth in five games. This success moved them above Kayserispor to the top of the table with 28 points from 12 matches.
Keçiörengücü remains in fifth place with 20 points, and this loss ended their 10-game unbeaten streak.
Bursaspor will host Bandırmaspor on Saturday. Coach Er hopes to have Iheanacho fit for the match.
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