Kojo Oppong Injury Blow Leaves Fenerbahçe Short for Liverpool Clash

The loss of Ghanaian centre‑back Kojo Oppong means Fenerbahçe enter Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League tie with Liverpool severely short‑handed defensively, obliging interim manager Dirk Kuyt to devise a makeshift partnership as they already grapple with a string of recent setbacks.

Fenerbahçe suffered the setback ahead of Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League clash when the 22‑year‑old Ghanaian centre‑back was ruled out after injuring himself in the Saturday 2–1 Süper Lig defeat to Göztepe.

He had earned his first start in the absence of fellow defender Nathan Aké, but clutched his muscle in the 84th minute and was replaced by Yiğit Efe Demir.

Interim manager Dirk Kuyt said Oppong signalled he wanted to leave the field after feeling sharp discomfort, and the player was later seen limping out of the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

Initial medical reports describe the problem as a serious muscular injury, confirming he will miss Wednesday’s European fixture.

The injury added to a miserable evening for the Yellow Canaries, who surrendered a 1–0 lead to suffer a second consecutive league defeat and endured loud protests from home supporters aimed at the club hierarchy.

With both Oppong and Aké unavailable, Kuyt will be forced to field a makeshift central‑defensive pairing of Milan Škriniar and 21‑year‑old Yiğit Efe Demir against Arne Slot’s Liverpool side at Kadıköy.

The upcoming fixture is scheduled for Wednesday, 4 November at 20:45 TRT in the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.