Umar Sadiq: Real Sociedad reveal surgery date for Super Eagles player's injury
Nigeria versatile attacker Umar Sadiq will be operated on Thursday, September 15, according to his club Real Sociedad.
The towering forward ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the team's 2-1 La Liga loss away at Getafe last weekend.
As a result, he was forced off after just 38 minutes, ending what has been a good start to the season.
"After suffering a rupture of his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, Sadiq Umar will undergo surgery on 15th September in Vitoria, with Dr Mikel Sanchez taking control of the procedure," the Spanish outfit confirmed on Tuesday.
After surgery, the injury usually takes between six to nine months to heal, although no clear date has been set for his return yet. Now we know when that timeline can start from.
After suffering a rupture of his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, Sadiq Umar will undergo surgery on 15th September in Vitoria, with Dr Mikel Sánchez taking control of the procedure.#AurreraReala pic.twitter.com/OU0seYWXXN
— Real Sociedad 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 (@RealSociedadEN) September 13, 2022
It is a blow for the club who paid a record €20 million with another potential €5 million in add-ons to bring the Super Eagle on board from Almeria, following the departure of Sweden forward Alexander Isak.
Sadiq had announced himself to the Sociedad fans in emphatic style last week when he came off the bench to score the equaliser just 10 minutes after his introduction as they held Atletico Madrid to a 1-1 draw.
He created problems for the Atletico defence with his movement, physicality, and height while his ability to drop deeper allowed his teammates to get more space in the box, traits his new side were hoping to enjoy.
The West African was also part of the team that registered a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League on Thursday.
His absence will be felt by Nigeria coach Jose Paseiro, who had hoped to have the player available for the September 27 international friendly game against Algeria.
We wish Sadiq a quick recovery 🙏 #soarsupereagles pic.twitter.com/Qv0zUPN7fk
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) September 13, 2022
Ex-Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju also wished Sadiq a quick recovery and remained optimistic he will come back stronger.
Wishing you a speedy recovery Sadiq. I know you will come back better, stronger, and the goals will not dry. All the best to Real Sociedad for the rest of the 2022-23 season. 💕🫶🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/ybt7SxP72Z
— Mutiu Adepoju (@MutiuAdepoju8) September 13, 2022
La Liga had added to the list of support, hoping the Super Eagle will grow stronger.
💙🤍 Wishing a speedy recovery to @RealSociedadEN’s Umar Sadiq.
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) September 12, 2022
The comeback will be greater than the setback. 🙌 https://t.co/XE9ficJXi6