Noa Lang to undergo surgery after injury in Champions League match
Galatasaray winger Noa Lang is set to undergo surgery in Liverpool after suffering a severe thumb injury during his side’s Champions League elimination at Anfield on Wednesday evening, reports BritPanorama.
The 26-year-old Dutch international collided with advertising boards in the closing stages of the 4-0 defeat, which confirmed a 4-1 aggregate loss for the Turkish champions. Medical staff attended to Lang on the pitch for approximately six minutes before he was stretchered off in visible distress, with the tip of his right thumb appearing to be partially severed.
The club issued a statement early Thursday confirming that the attacker had sustained a “serious cut” and would be operated on by their medical team before departing Liverpool. Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk also confirmed after the final whistle that Lang was being taken to hospital, with surgical intervention set to take place shortly.
Lang’s injury is compounded by further setbacks for Galatasaray, as striker Victor Osimhen was also forced off during the Anfield encounter. The Nigerian international suffered a fracture to his right arm after an impact in the opening 45 minutes and was withdrawn at half-time as a precaution against worsening the break.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, who shares international duties with Lang for the Netherlands, offered his support following the match. “It’s a very big accident but it’s nothing to do with the stadium, it’s just an accident,” Van Dijk said, adding, “I spoke to him, hopefully he will be back on the pitch asap because we need him if he’s coming to the national team next week.”
Osimhen’s injury further exacerbates Galatasaray’s squad depth issues as they continue their domestic campaign. The club is awaiting additional medical assessments to determine whether Osimhen will need surgery. Both injuries could significantly hinder the team’s performance in upcoming matches.
Since arriving on loan from Napoli at the start of the year, Lang has established himself as a first-choice starter for Galatasaray, having previously made 18 Serie A appearances for the Italian club, though most of those were as a substitute. He also featured in two World Cup qualifying matches for the Netherlands last year.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Reds are set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the next round after securing their spot with an 8-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea.
Injuries are part of the game, but Lang’s plight is a stark reminder of how finely balanced fortunes can be in football, where ambition and reality often collide in the most unexpected ways. For Galatasaray, navigating this turbulent phase without two key players will surely test both their resilience and depth as they chase their goals.
