Semi Ajayi of Nigeria ©Alou Dao/BackpagePix
Friday Nov 01, 2024. 15:00
Nigeria international Semi Ajayi has been ruled out for four months after picking up an injury while in action for his English club West Bromwich Albion.
The towering centre-back suffered a hamstring injury in the second half of the Baggies’ EFL Championship encounter with Cardiff City last weekend and will require surgery.
This has come as a blow for the Super Eagles of Nigeria as Ajayi has featured in all three of the team’s matches in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
“Semi, unfortunately, has suffered a more difficult injury. It was an action which was an accident,” West Brom manager Carlos Corberan said on the club’s website.
“In this action, he has broken his muscle in two parts. The best way to manage this injury is with surgery because surgery helps reduce the risk of suffering this type of injury again.
“There are injuries which affect the tendon in specific areas where you have to have surgery. The surgery delays things by around two weeks, but it also reduces the risk of the injury reoccurring,” he added.
“Returning in about 16 weeks is the approximate time when you have this type of surgery.”
Ajayi will miss Nigeria’s AFCON qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda which are scheduled for 14 November and 18 November respectively.
