Trabzonspor manager, Thomas Reis has expressed hope that Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu would return to action after the club’s Turkish Super Lig clash against Rizespor on Monday, following an injury that has kept him out of recent matches.
Onuachu sustained the injury during Trabzonspor’s 4-2 victory over Finnish side KuPS in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, October 15.
The Super Eagles striker opened the scoring in the third minute but was forced off in the 10th minute after picking up the injury.
The 32-year-old subsequently missed Trabzonspor’s 2-0 league victory over Besiktas, and their 2-0 Conference League win against Scottish side Hearts on Thursday, October 22.
Speaking after the victory over Hearts, Reis admitted that Onuachu could struggle to regain full fitness in time for the upcoming encounter with Rizespor, although he remains hopeful of having the striker back shortly afterwards.
Providing an update on the Nigerian forward, the Trabzonspor manager said the upcoming fixture might come too soon for him to start, while expressing optimism about his return after the match.
“Regarding Paul Onuachu, I can say this: The Rizespor match might be a little early for him. It might be too early for him to start, but I hope he will be with us here after the Rizespor match,” he said, as quoted by Nirvanahaber.
“We expect Mustafa to be in the squad starting with the Rizespor match. I hope he will also be back with us in his best form as soon as possible”.
Reis’s comments suggest that Onuachu’s availability for the Rizespor encounter remains uncertain, with the manager stopping short of confirming a definite return date.
Onuachu has scored three goals in 11 appearances across all competitions this season, establishing himself as an important attacking option for the Turkish club.
Onuachu
Trabzonspor will continue monitoring his recovery as they prepare for their next league fixture, with a potential return after the Rizespor match offering hope of an imminent comeback.
