Galatasaray's striker crisis: Urgent Okan Buruk - Barış Alper Yılmaz meeting
Galatasaray is facing a striker shortage ahead of their match against Eyüpspor, with Victor Osimhen injured and Mauro Icardi not fully fit. As a result, manager Okan Buruk is set to meet with Barış Alper Yılmaz, who was recently dropped from the squad, to bring him back into the starting lineup as the team's only available center-forward.
The international break is over, and Galatasaray, coming off a spectacular four-game winning streak to start the season, is set to return to league play. On Saturday, they will face Eyüpspor at Atatürk Olympic Stadium, but they will do so without their ideal strikers.
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Victor Osimhen has returned from international duty with Nigeria with an injury. The extent of the star forward’s injury is not yet known, but he is not expected to be risked by manager Okan Buruk.
Adding to the problem, the team's other primary striker, Mauro Icardi, has not yet recovered his full match fitness following his own injury. It's expected that Icardi will only be available to play a role in the second half of the match.
This leaves Barış Alper Yılmaz as the only available option to play as a center-forward, a position he filled in the opening weeks of the season. However, Yılmaz has been left out of the squad for the past two weeks due to a difficult transfer saga.
Yılmaz had been in negotiations with Saudi Arabian club NEOM SC and was seeking a move away, which led to him being left off the roster for matches against Kayserispor and Rizespor. Despite his desire to leave, Yılmaz has now been included in the UEFA Champions League squad, confirming his stay at the club.
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Manager Okan Buruk is scheduled to have a critical meeting with the 25-year-old before training begins at the Kemerburgaz Metin Oktay Facilities. Buruk wants his player to put the transfer drama behind him, refocus, and make a significant contribution to the team's success. It is expected that Yılmaz will give his full commitment to the coach and the team as he prepares to return to the starting lineup.
