Super Eagles forward Philip Otele was notably left out of Hamburger SV’s matchday squad for their 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena on Saturday, raising fresh questions over his future at the club.
Otele joined the Bundesliga side on a loan deal with an option to make the move permanent, following an impressive start to the campaign with Basel.
The Nigeria international made a bright start to life in Germany, delivering an influential performance that helped inspire Hamburg to a 2-0 away victory over Heidenheim.
However, Otele has been unable to maintain his strong early form as the season progressed, with his momentum disrupted after he was shown a red card in the derby clash against Werder Bremen.
The red card incident led to a suspension that ruled him out of two matches against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Despite returning from suspension, the Basel loanee did not feature in any further matches as the season concluded.
He was an unused substitute in the 3-2 win over Freiburg and was subsequently left out of the matchday squad entirely for the final-day clash against Bayer Leverkusen.
According to German outlet Bild, the decision was made purely for sporting reasons by Hamburg head coach Merlin Polzin, rather than injury or disciplinary concerns.
The development has further intensified speculation over Otele's future at the club, with uncertainty growing as the summer transfer window approaches.
Adeyemi Adewale
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