Chukwueze injury: How many games will Super Eagles star miss after hip surgery?

Samuel Chukwueze has undergone successful hip surgery in London and could be out of action for up to five months.

AC Milan confirmed that the Nigerian winger underwent an operation to repair a ruptured tendon of the tensor fasciae latae muscle in his left hip.

Professor Ernest Schilders performed the surgery, with Milan club doctor Stefano Mazzoni in attendance. The club confirmed that the operation was successful but did not give a date for Chukwueze’s return.

The 27-year-old picked up the injury during Milan’s Serie A match against Atalanta on October 18 and had to leave the pitch.

Milan’s medical team initially tried conservative treatment and injections, but these failed to resolve the problem, making surgery necessary.

Reports from Italian newspapers SkySports suggest that Chukwueze will spend between three and five months recovering.

He is expected to return to Italy to begin rehabilitation under the supervision of Milan’s medical staff.

Chukwueze ruled out of Super Eagles AFCON qualifiers

Nigeria coach Eric Chelle will have to do without Chukwueze for the Super Eagles’ upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania.

The winger will miss both legs of the November double-header, depriving Nigeria of one of its finest wingers on the right side of attack.

He could also miss the March 2027 qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau if his recovery takes the full five months.

How many games will Chukwueze miss for AC Milan?

Chukwueze’s absence is also a blow to AC Milan coach Ruben Amorim, who had been giving the Nigerian regular playing time before his injury.

Depending on how long his recovery takes, the winger could miss between 18 and 25 matches for the Italian club across Serie A, the Europa League and Coppa Italia.

Some of the matches he could miss include the Milan derby against Inter, as well as league games against Juventus, Napoli and Atalanta.

A three-month recovery would put Chukwueze in line for a return around January or February 2027. However, if he needs the full five months, he may not play again until March or April.

Milan will now hope that his rehabilitation goes well as Chukwueze begins his recovery from surgery.