Nigeria have been dealt a major blow as Peter Etebo has been ruled out of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations through injury.
The midfielder was forced off injured during Watford’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Newcastle United on Saturday evening at Vicarage Road.
The Stoke City loanee was subsequently replaced by compatriot Emmanuel Dennis as Xisco Munoz’s Hornets came from a goal down to earn a point against the Magpies.
Meanwhile, the English top-flight side in a statement published on their website revealed how long the former Getafe and Galatasaray player would spend on the sidelines.
“Midfielder Peter Etebo tore a quad muscle towards the end of the Newcastle United game last weekend and is expected to be out for between four to five months,” the club wrote.
With this, he will miss at least 17 English top-flight fixtures for Watford – starting with Saturday’s showdown at Leeds United.
If this is anything to go by, Etebo will not be ready as Gernot Rohr’s side bids to win the biennial African football showpiece for the fourth time in Cameroon.
Etebo was part of the Eagles side that finished third in the 2019 edition of Afcon staged in Egypt.
Earlier on Thursday morning, the combative midfielder did not make the country’s 23-man squad for the October double-header in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against the Central African Republic.
Following the Rio Olympics bronze medalist’s move to the Hertfordshire based side, he stated that Watford would give their all in the 2021-22 season.
“It’s going to be a long season, but let’s see. The most important thing is for us to keep our heads up, and make sure we’re going to give everything,” he told the club website.
“When I first signed for Stoke I had people telling me to come to England wouldn’t be easy, especially in the Championship,” he continued.
“Everyone knows it's one of the toughest [leagues], you have to keep running, chase people down.
“Every league is difficult, it all depends on how you set out the team, No league is easy. Coming to England to play, it’s a good league, it’s tough, but it’s a joy to me.”