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Turkish football commentator Serdar Ali Celikler has claimed that although Fenerbahce's striker Jhon Duran’s MR scans came back clean after a brief injury, the player is refusing to play following Jose Mourinho's departure.
Duran, who suffered an injury during the critical Benfica match and has so far missed six games, is unlikely to feature in the Nice game, reportedly because his pain persists.
Turkish commentator Celikler stated that the Colombian has recovered from injury, but he is simply not willing to take the field.
When asked whether he had insider knowledge, Celikler replied: “Yes. He’s not playing, man, he’s not playing. He comes out with things like, ‘I came for Mourinho’—that’s nonsense. If he says, ‘I’m injured,’ what can you do? This season, Europe has only two players wearing helmets—Florian Wirtz and Jhon Duran.”
Jhon Duran arrived in Türkiye in early July 2025, when he joined Fenerbahce on a one-year loan from Saudi side Al-Nassr.
Media outlets reported that his annual net salary would be about €15 million (17.64 million), with the total cost to the club—including agent fees and other bonuses—estimated to rise to approximately €20 million.
Before joining Fenerbahce, Duran had risen to prominence during his spell at Aston Villa, where he scored 20 goals in 78 appearances in all competitions.
In January 2025, he made a high-profile move to Saudi Arabia-based Al-Nassr for a reported £64 million (plus add-ons) after shining in England.
During his brief time at Al-Nassr, he maintained a strong scoring rate, netting 12 goals in 18 matches.
However, since he arrived in Türkiye, Duran’s impact has been limited, partly due to injury.
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