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Trabzonspor head coach, Thomas Reis, has ruled out Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu from Thursday’s UEFA Europa Conference League clash against Scottish club Heart of Midlothian.
The Turkish Super Lig side will host Hearts at Papara Park in a matchday three encounter, but Onuachu will miss the fixture as he continues his recovery from an injury sustained last week.
The forward picked up the injury during Trabzonspor’s 4-2 victory over Finnish club KuPS last Thursday.
Onuachu opened the scoring for the Black Sea Storm in the third minute of the encounter before he was substituted seven minutes later after sustaining the injury.
His early withdrawal raised concerns over his availability for subsequent matches, with the striker now set to miss the European fixture against Hearts.
Reis gives update on Onuachu’s return
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Thursday’s game, Reis confirmed that the match would come too soon for the Nigerian international.
The Trabzonspor manager also provided a possible timeline for the striker’s return, suggesting that he could be available for the club’s next Turkish league fixture against Rizespor.
“Tomorrow will be a bit early for Mustafa, early for his return tomorrow. For Onuachu, we could say maybe the Rizespor match,” Reis told reporters.
The coach’s comments suggest that Trabzonspor are hopeful of having Onuachu back for the Rizespor encounter, although no definitive return date was announced.
Trabzonspor face Hearts without Nigerian striker
Onuachu’s absence is a setback for Trabzonspor as they prepare to take on Hearts in the European competition.
The Nigerian striker had made an immediate impact against KuPS by scoring within the opening minutes before his injury forced him off the pitch.
Trabzonspor will now have to approach Thursday’s match without the forward, while monitoring his recovery ahead of their upcoming domestic fixture against Rizespor.
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