COMMENT By Solace Chukwu
Follow on TwitterThe complexion that the spate of injuries places on Nigeria's upcoming tie against Seychelles is hard to presage.
It will often require a moment of fortune or two for a player who was previously on the fringe of the side to insert himself into the reckoning and to usurp an established starter, but when so many are missing, there is such a danger that it becomes a handicap in and of itself: a team may well be boosted by one player seeking to make a point; but four or five leaves it with a few too many soloists.
Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi and William Troost-Ekong have now withdrawn from the team due to injury, which opens up deep fissures through the spine of the team, and may well limit the tactical options available to coach Gernot Rohr.
Iwobi's absence, in particular, will be keenly felt. The World Cup exposed the folly of expecting team captain John Obi Mikel to play in an advanced creative role with his mobility all but gone, and in his absence this was supposed to be the first step in slotting Iwobi into the hole behind the striker. The Arsenal man is clearly the team's most contemplative player, and not one to shirk or hide.
Getty
His absence might well force Rohr to play without a pure No. 10, although the chances of persisting with the 3-5-2 have also taken a hit with Troost-Ekong's injury. That leaves Leon Balogun and Kenneth Omeruo as the team's senior centre-backs, and might then require a sooner-than-expected involvement for new invitee Semi Ajayi.
It really is like wrangling a malevolent reptile: there are multiple problem points, and no easy solutions.
The case of Ola Aina is perhaps the most unfortunate. The Chelsea man, on loan in Serie A with Torino, has enjoyed a fine start to the season, involved in all three league games so far, bringing him back into favour after the disappointment of a World Cup snub.
If there's any consolation for him, it is that, with Victor Moses having ridden off into the sunset, and the weird infatuation with Elderson Echiejile now at an end, there will be plenty of chances to stake his claim in various wide areas.
Torino
That might also mean that Jamilu Collins gets thrown into the fray straight away, and suddenly the prospect of filing out with two 'rookies' in the backline becomes a very real, and somewhat frightening, prospect.
The obvious rebuttal to that is the level of the opposition.
The expectation is that Seychelles will be rolled over rather easily, a perilous bit of presumption when one remembers the slog that was the away leg against Swaziland in a World Cup preliminary eliminator back in 2015. Three years is a long time, but the lessons remain very fresh in the mind: there are no easy matches, and nothing can be taken for granted.
Not that, with the number of balls up in the air, Rohr can afford complacency anyway.
Getty
Having existed in something of a state of grace for most of his tenure, he will now have to earn his pay making hard decisions and having them scrutinized.
What will he do with his system? Persist, with so many players out of the frame? Then again, it is arguable that a back three is overly cautious for a game in which the Super Eagles require a win. Stick or twist, and how will the German explain his rationale?
How will his exemplary work at building up a feeling of camaraderie within the squad hold up in the face of a possible four debutants? Both Henry Onyekuru and Samuel Kalu will invariably start, as will (at least) one of Collins and Ajayi. How well will game idea and model transfer?
He may well have these obstacles and variables to contend with, but there will be little sympathy for any less than a convincing win come Saturday.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)