Chelsea Football Club star John Obi Mikel has been excused from playing for Nigeria.

The Blues has requested for the midfielder to be left out of the squad for the World Cup qualifier against Sierra Leone so he could work on his fitness, and this has been granted.

"The Nigeria Football Federation and Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari have agreed that Mikel skip this game so as to concentrate fully on his club career," said Super Eagles official Emmanuel Attah.

"We agreed to this because we want the player to fully establish himself at the club while also improving the working relationship between us and the overseas clubs of our players."