Super Eagles and Rangers defender, Leon Balogun, has confirmed that he suffered a cheekbone fracture during his side’s 2-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final on Thursday night. The injury came after a collision with his teammate, John Souttar, during the match at the San Mamés stadium.
Balogun, 35, was forced to leave the field in the 50th minute of the match, as he felt the immediate impact of the injury. He was replaced by Hamza Igamane, and since then, Balogun has spoken about the extent of the injury and the toll it has taken on him. In an interview with BBC Sport, Balogun shared, “I’ve fractured my cheekbone again. I think this is the fourth time in my career. I knew it straight away, and I knew that I had to come off with it. I asked the doc if there’s any chance for me to stay on, but then the pain normally kicks in, and then it’s not really nice.”
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Balogun has revealed that he will likely require a minor surgery to address the fracture, though he hopes it will be a small procedure. “We’ll see how severe, but probably we’ll need a small surgery or something, and then a few days rest, and then I can go back on with the mask,” he said, referring to the protective face mask he may wear once he returns to action.
Reflecting on the match against Bilbao, Balogun admitted that Rangers were outplayed by the Spanish side. “We all came here with a lot more expectations, probably to ourselves, and we did not really live up to it,” he commented. “I know this is not what the supporters and the people back home want to hear, but sometimes you have to hold your hands up, and I think Bilbao showed that they’re the better team.”
With Rangers' UEFA Europa League campaign now over, Balogun’s injury presents another challenge for the club, which is now focused on the remaining matches of the domestic Premiership. The team currently sits second in the league, trailing Celtic by 15 points, and will need to overcome this setback as they aim to finish the season strongly. Balogun’s absence could affect the team’s defensive options as manager Barry Ferguson looks to keep the team competitive in the league for the remainder of the season.
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