Chelle reshapes Super Eagles squad for Portugal as Aston Villa star set to miss Poland vs Nigeria

Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle is following a carefully balanced plan for Nigeria’s busy June international window, with the Malian tactician reshaping his squad ahead of high-profile friendlies against Poland and Portugal, Afrik-Foot reports.

Nigeria will face Poland on June 3 at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw before travelling to Leiria for a meeting with Portugal on June 10. Both matches are scheduled for 7:45pm Nigerian time and are expected to provide stern tests for Chelle as he continues preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Rather than experiment heavily, Chelle has gone with a strong 24-man squad packed with established European-based stars. The attack will once again revolve around Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze and Paul Onuachu.

In midfield and defence, regular names such as Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Calvin Bassey, Frank Onyeka and Semi Ajayi have retained their places as Chelle looks to build tactical stability against elite European opposition.

The coach has also continued his policy of introducing fresh faces into the national team setup. Arthur Okonkwo has received a first senior call-up after impressing for Wrexham AFC, while youngsters such as Tochukwu Nnadi, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, Emmanuel Fernandez and Rafiu Durosinmi are being closely assessed.

Unity Cup used as Chelle’s testing ground

Away from the main squad, Chelle is also overseeing a separate experimental group for the Unity Cup tournament in London between May 26 and 30. The squad includes several emerging talents from Europe alongside players from the Nigeria Premier Football League.

The idea behind the arrangement is to protect the core stars from overload after a demanding club season, while also giving fringe players an opportunity to prove they can handle the demands of international football.

While Nigeria prepare with close to full strength, Poland could be without one of their most reliable players for the clash in Warsaw.

According to Polish outlet Meczyki, Matty Cash is expected to miss Poland’s training camp because of an unspecified injury problem.

The 28-year-old right-back recently helped Aston Villa win the Europa League after a 3-0 victory over Freiburg and also featured in Villa’s 2-1 Premier League win over Manchester City at the weekend.

Cash has been one of Poland’s most dependable players under coach Jan Urban, missing only two matches during the manager’s reign. His absence would therefore come as a significant setback ahead of friendlies against Ukraine and Nigeria.

The defender played 49 matches in all competitions this season, scoring three goals and producing five assists as Villa secured Champions League qualification and lifted European silverware.

However, recurring knee and calf problems appear to have caught up with him after a demanding campaign. Since joining Aston Villa from Nottingham Forest in 2020, Cash has made 229 appearances for the club, contributing 13 goals and 17 assists.