The Super Eagles are set to enter AFCON 2025 without one of their rising defenders after he picked up an injury while training with FC Dender in Belgium.

Benjamin Fredrick suffered a knee problem during a club session, ruling him out of next month’s tournament. The young centre-back had only just returned from Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying playoff fixtures, where he featured in all the matches.

Nigeria ended the playoff series behind DR Congo and missed out on the intercontinental spots, bringing their qualification run to an end.

Fredrick, who is on loan from Brentford, is expected to recover fully after the AFCON competition, according to early reports.

Coach Eric Chelle has reportedly identified a replacement, and an updated squad list for the Super Eagles should be released soon.

The injury comes at a tough time for Nigeria, as Fredrick had recently secured a regular place in central defence, stepping into the role once occupied by captain William Troost-Ekong.