Eric Chelle on why Osimhen and Lookman will miss Portugal and Poland friendlies

Although the three-time African champions will not take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, these two fixtures are anticipated to be vital to Chelle's reconstruction plan as he continues to mould the squad for upcoming tournaments.

The Nigerian team will take on Poland in Warsaw on 3 June and then journey to Leiria a week later for a high-profile encounter against Portugal, who are captained by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Osimhen and Lookman, both of whom had outstanding campaigns with Galatasaray and Atletico Madrid respectively, top the list of key absentees for these games. The Franco-Malian coach attributed their unavailability to factors outside the team's control.

"Currently we have two matches, against Poland and Portugal, and I am facing many difficulties because certain players lack visas, for instance Samson Tijani and Al Hassan Yusuf, and I cannot argue with the embassy," Chelle stated.

"We will also be without Victor Osimhen, who is in the process of changing clubs, so we decided that he should stay at home because competing when you are not fully fit is not advisable."

"Lookman is extremely fatigued and Atletico requested that we give him a break. We will travel with a limited number of players and we will assess the situation after the matches against Poland and Portugal."

"We must adapt to every situation. We will certainly go with both our strengths and weaknesses. We will return with something favourable."

Chelle's comments regarding Osimhen have been largely taken as a sign that the forward is poised to depart the Turkish club, triggering heavy speculation about his next move.

The remarks rapidly stirred discussion among supporters and analysts, with numerous top European teams being associated with the Nigerian international.

However, the ex-Napoli player later used social media to refute the transfer rumours, maintaining that the former Mali manager's words had been misunderstood and did not indicate any forthcoming exit.

"I have just finished a phone call with coach Eric Chelle concerning the remarks he made about me in his latest interview," Osimhen wrote.

"Unfortunately, his statements have been taken out of context and exaggerated. He holds Galatasaray in high regard, watches most of our matches, and never meant to cause any controversy.

"I value that discussion, the privilege of always representing my nation, and I am keen to keep collaborating with him. He is an excellent manager whom I greatly respect, and I respectfully request that everyone ignore the conjecture around this issue. Thank you for your unwavering support."

Nigeria have been placed in the same qualifying pool as Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and Tunisia for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.