Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman faces a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a knee ligament injury during international duty, putting his availability for Atletico Madrid’s upcoming fixtures in doubt.

Atletico Madrid have suffered an injury setback after Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman sprained a knee ligament while representing his country against Tanzania.

Lookman sustained the injury during Nigeria’s international fixture and will return to Spain for medical treatment and further assessment. The winger will miss Nigeria’s return match against Tanzania.

His injury also makes him a major doubt for Atletico Madrid’s next three matches against Getafe and Elche in La Liga and Viking FK in the Champions League.

The Spanish club have yet to confirm the expected recovery period, leaving uncertainty over when the 28-year-old could return to action.

Atletico will subsequently face FC Barcelona in another La Liga fixture brought forward from February because of the Spanish Super Cup. Lookman’s availability for the high-profile encounter will depend on the severity of his injury and his recovery progress.

The Nigerian international made an immediate impact after joining Atletico Madrid in February, scoring six goals and providing two assists in 20 appearances during the second half of last season.

However, he has found goals harder to come by this campaign, managing two goals in 15 appearances, with several of those outings coming from the substitutes’ bench.

Lookman’s absence could present another selection challenge for Atletico manager Diego Simeone as the club prepares for a demanding run of domestic and European fixtures.