Trabzonspor have confirmed that striker Paul Onuachu will not feature in their Süper Lig match against Alanyaspor on Saturday, April 11, after the Super Eagles forward picked up a muscle injury during a training session.
The club’s Health Board Chairman, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Beşir, released a medical statement on Friday, April 10, confirming that clinical evaluations had identified significant pain and stiffness in the anterior upper muscle group of Onuachu’s left thigh. The 31-year-old was immediately withdrawn from the travelling squad as a precautionary measure, with a specialised treatment protocol already underway. The duration of his absence has not yet been confirmed.
The timing represents a significant disruption for manager Fatih Tekke, whose side are locked in a three-way title race with Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe as the season enters its final seven fixtures. Onuachu had been in the form of his career heading into the weekend, having scored 22 goals and registered two assists in just 25 Süper Lig appearances this season — a return that makes him one of the division’s most influential forwards.
The Nigerian international’s most recent contribution came in the matchweek prior to his injury, when he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over league leaders Galatasaray — a result that breathed fresh life into Trabzonspor’s championship ambitions. Across all competitions this season, Onuachu has been directly involved in 24 goals, underlining his central importance to the so-called “Black Sea Storm.”
Without the towering forward’s physical presence in attack, Trabzonspor face a testing challenge in maintaining pressure on the sides above them in the standings. The club will need to navigate the Alanyaspor fixture without their top scorer before assessing whether Onuachu can return for the subsequent rounds of fixtures.
Onuachu, who joined Trabzonspor on loan from Southampton, has previously represented Nigeria at international level and has built a reputation across European football for his aerial ability and goal-scoring consistency. His performances this season have been widely regarded as the best of his career, making the injury particularly poorly timed given the weight of the matches that remain.
The extent of the thigh muscle injury and the precise timeline for his return are expected to become clearer in the coming days as the club’s medical team continues to monitor his recovery.
