Why Tochukwu Nnadi opted against surgery after suffering knee injury

Super Eagles midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi has taken the surprising decision to reject immediate surgery on the suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury he sustained in Olympique de Marseille’s 2-0 Ligue 1 defeat to AS Monaco, Afrik-Foot reports.

The 23-year-old had only been introduced at half-time by head coach Bruno Génésio before pulling up with a knee injury moments later and being replaced by Neal Maupay.

Post-match assessments raised fears of a serious anterior cruciate ligament issue, and multiple medical consultants reportedly recommended immediate surgery to fully address the problem.

Nnadi has instead chosen to skip the operation entirely, in a decision his agent Alexis Daguev has publicly explained.

Why Tochukwu Nnadi opted against surgery

The clearest explanation for the non-surgical route comes directly from his agent Timur Daguev, who spoke to La Provence after the diagnosis.

“After Nnadi’s injury, we spent several days discussing with the doctors, the team and his entourage to determine the best decision to make. Many advised him to have surgery immediately,” Daguev said.

“That was undoubtedly the safest option, but it also meant being away from the field and the team for several months. We made a different decision.”

The primary reason is a straightforward recovery-timeline calculation. Immediate ACL surgery typically ranges from six to nine months of rehabilitation, which would end Nnadi’s 2026/27 season.

For a player who has struggled for minutes since he made the switch to France during the winter transfer window, that is a hard decision to face.

“Nnadi cannot abandon OM at such a time and cannot remain a spectator when he knows he can still fight and help his teammates, the coach, and the fans during this difficult period,” the 36-year-old continued.

“Since his arrival, the coach has believed in Nnadi. He has trusted him and supported him. He feels he must contribute right now.”

The risks involved for Nnadi

The reasons stack up, but the medical risks involved do not. Nnadi’s representatives have not tried to dress up the trade-off.

“We are aware of the risks. We know that he could feel pain. We know that it won’t be easy, but it is Nnadi’s decision,” Daguev said.

The risk is that a partially healed or unstable ACL leaves Nnadi vulnerable to a secondary and often more severe re-injury the moment he returns to competitive contact football.

The medium-term risk is chronic instability in the knee joint that eventually forces the surgery he tried to avoid, only later in the season and after further damage has been done.

For a 23-year-old midfielder still establishing himself at both club and international level, that is a significant career gamble. Playing through a compromised knee for the remainder of the season puts him at risk of missing the AFCON 2027 tournament next June.

What this means for the Super Eagles

For Éric Chelle, the decision is also unhelpful in the short term. Nnadi has become a regular in the Super Eagles setup since making his debut during the AFCON 2025 campaign in Morocco, and while not yet a guaranteed starter, had been trusted enough by Chelle to feature as a regular substitute.

The situation is a problem for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers coming up later this month.

Nigeria host Madagascar on 23 September before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later, and Nnadi’s inability to participate in a competitive fixture just five days after the Monaco injury effectively rules him out of the qualifiers.

Beyond September, the calculation is harder to predict. If the non-surgical recovery works as Nnadi hopes, he could be back for Marseille within weeks and available for Nigeria’s October window.

If it does not, and if the knee gives way in a competitive fixture, the result is likely to be the surgery he tried to avoid plus a longer recovery period that could cost him the development he aspires to have by skipping going under the knife.