Trabzonspor manager Thomas Reis is hopeful that Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu will recover quickly after the Nigerian forward suffered an injury during Thursday’s 4-2 away victory over Finnish side KuPS Kuopio in the UEFA Conference League, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

Onuachu opened the scoring just three minutes into the encounter, finishing off a move assisted by Mohamed Salah, but his involvement was cut short when he was forced off in the 10th minute.

Trabzonspor had yet to provide an official update on the nature of the injury or the expected duration of his absence at the time of filing.

The victory marked Trabzonspor’s first match in this season’s Conference League campaign and their first European win since August 1, 2024. It also extended their winning run across all competitions to three matches.

Speaking after the game, Reis expressed disappointment over the striker’s early departure and praised his commitment in training.

“Onuachu was very unlucky. He’s a player who works very well in training. He started the match well and scored a nice goal. It’s a very unfortunate injury.

“I hope he’ll be back soon. Injuries aren’t an excuse for us; we can’t make excuses. Injuries are opportunities for other players. I hope it won’t last too long and he’ll rejoin us soon.”

The goal was Onuachu’s third in 10 appearances this season. Although the Nigerian has faced challenges in front of goal, his physical presence and ability to trouble opposing defences remain important assets for the Turkish side.

Trabzonspor will now await further medical assessments to determine how long they could be without the forward.