Cyriel Dessers: Awful injury update emerges for Super Eagles star who hasn’t played since AFCON 2025

Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers is poised to miss the rest of the campaign due to a lingering injury, Afrik-Foot reports.

​This season has proven to be one of the most frustrating in Dessers’ career, as he has spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.

The 31-year-old forward joined Panathinaikos from Rangers in a deal worth €4.6 million last summer, but unfortunately for both the player and the Greek giants, the move has not gone according to plan.

Dessers has featured in just eight matches all season, all of which came during the first half of the campaign.

​His inclusion in Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations squad came as a surprise to many, given his struggles with an ankle injury during the early months of the season.

But while he featured in the Super Eagles’ lone pre-tournament friendly against Egypt, his luck ran out during the tournament itself.

Dessers suffered a thigh injury just before Nigeria’s clash with Uganda, forcing an early return to Athens for specialized treatment.

​In February, hope emerged that the striker was nearing a return after he was spotted training with his teammates. However, he suffered a major setback shortly after and has remained sidelined ever since.

​New Update Emerges on Cyriel Dessers’ Surgery

​After months of uncertainty, a definitive update has emerged regarding Dessers’ recovery timeline.

According to a report from OnlyPao, the striker is officially set to miss the remainder of the season as he prepares to undergo surgery to resolve his persistent thigh issue.

​Panathinaikos initially attempted a conservative rehabilitation approach with the Super Eagles star, followed by an individual fitness program earlier this month. However, recent scans revealed that the underlying problem persists, leaving surgery as the final resort.

​The procedure is expected to keep Dessers out of action for at least three months, by which time the current European season will have concluded.

As such, the forward will focus on a return for the 2026/27 season. He will be hoping to bounce back strongly during pre-season to finally prove his worth in the Greek top flight.