Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, has hinted that captain John Mikel Obi, may not complete the match against Algeria on Saturday.
The 29-year-old is yet to feature for Chelsea this season, since he returned from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
But Rohr still has confidence in his skipper and he is set to start against the Desert Warriors, in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in Uyo.
Mikel Obi played the full duration of the match against Zambia last month, but Rohr took him off in the 63rd minute against Tanzania, claiming the player was injured.
“He (Mikel) is here with us and he is fit and I hope he can play for 90 minutes against Algeria, but if it is not possible, we shall see,” Rohr said at a media briefing in Uyo.
“He is an influential player and I expect him to motivate others from the opening minute, but what I cannot tell you is if he has the strength to play full time.
“If he is substituted, we have other players who can come in for us so it is not really a problem for us.
“He played a lot of games at the beginning of the season at the Olympics and has also played two games with us (Super Eagles) against Zambia and Tanzania.
“I have big confidence in him and if he says ‘it is okay’, then it is okay, but when he says ‘it is not okay’, then it is not and I will listen to him.”
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