Chukwueze Returns to Full Training at Fulham, Eyes Super Eagles Call-Up

Samuel Chukwueze is back in full training with Fulham FC ahead of the upcoming Super Eagles squad announcement for the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff against Gabon National Football Team in Morocco.

Fulham manager Marco Silva confirmed in a pre-match press conference that Chukwueze has recovered from his calf injury and has rejoined team training.

The former Villarreal CF winger had missed three consecutive fixtures including matches versus Arsenal FC and Newcastle United FC in the Premier League and a Carabao Cup tie at Wycombe Wanderers FC following a half-time withdrawal during Nigeria’s 4-0 win over Benin National Football Team on 14 October.

With his fitness restored, Chukwueze is now in contention for selection in Nigeria’s squad for the playoff. The announcement from the national-team camp is expected shortly.

Editorial

When the physical condition of a single player becomes newsworthy, it often reveals as much about national hopes as it does about individual fitness. Samuel Chukwueze’s return to training at Fulham is such a moment. If you believe football is about more than goals and assists and I do then this signifies far more the confluence of talent, identity and expectation.

Having been sidelined by injury, Chukwueze re-emerging now is timely. The Super Eagles’ play-off rendezvous with Gabon is not simply another fixture. It is a gateway to something larger. For Chukwueze, the path from promising international to decisive contributor demands more than pace or dribbling it demands reliability. By stepping into training again, he is announcing a readiness not just to participate, but to matter.

What underlines this story is Nigeria’s football culture. We have long celebrated the flair, the burst of speed, the moment of individual brilliance. But moments alone do not win qualifiers. The context qualification campaigns, tactical discipline, physical resilience. Chukwueze returning is a boost, yes but it also raises the question Is this squad built to transcend reliance on occasional flashes? In the history of the Super Eagles, there have been squads defined by moments; fewer are defined by structure.

In that light, Chukwueze’s week at Fulham is symbolic. He is not returning from injury in isolation he is doing so under the gaze of a nation. His manager’s confirmation of fitness is the public lease on expectation. And for Nigeria, integrating players of his calibre into a coherent unit has long been the challenge.

Yet one must also reflect football rewards the ready. He may not start, he may come on. But the simple fact of availability, of training participation, shifts the dynamic. It allows the national coach options. When a player of Chukwueze’s quality is not available, those options narrow. When he is, the horizon expands.

So we watch. The moment is discreet, almost mundane—training resumed. But in that quiet return lies significance. If he plays, we will talk about his speed, his runs and maybe his goal. But first we should acknowledge that he’s back. And for Nigeria’s football ambitions, that is something worth noting.

Did You Know?

1. Samuel Chukwueze was part of the Nigeria U-17 squad that won the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup.
2. Prior to joining Fulham, Chukwueze played for AC Milan on loan from Villarreal.
3. Chukwueze’s injury sustained in October 2025 was a calf issue, initially underestimated but requiring three missed matches before full training.
4. The Super Eagles have faced Gabon in World Cup qualifiers on multiple occasions, and past match-ups have often been tight contests decided by away goals or last-minute strikes.
5. Marco Silva, Fulham’s manager, has a known history of rotating his wide-players carefully, meaning Chukwueze’s return to training may not guarantee immediate starts but opens the door for strategic involvement.