A thigh muscle rupture picked up in Trabzonspor’s fantastic 3-1 victory at Fenerbache kept Anthony Nwakaeme out of action for three weeks, but the Nigerian forward made a pleasing return in his side’s two-all draw at home to Antalyaspor on Wednesday.
Nigeria international Nwakaeme is delighted to be back on the pitch following a lengthy injury setback and has set his sights on helping Trabzonspor get back to challenging for the Super Lig title.
Trabzonspor currently sit in second place on the league table four points behind leaders Instabul Basaksehir with just three rounds of matches left this season.
When the Super Lig resumed from the coronavirus hiatus in June, the Black Sea Storm led the standings having enjoyed an incredible campaign and standing unmatched as the best attacking side in the country.
Nwakaeme played a crucial role in that regard, contributing 11 goals and six assists in 27 league appearances.
But a tempered run of just one win in their last four games has allowed Basaksehir catch up and overtake Huseyin Çimşir’s men at the business end of the campaign.
An injury kept Nwakaeme out of those games, and the former Hapoel Be’er Sheva star only returned to feature in the last half-hour of the 2-2 draw at home to Antalyaspor two days ago.
But the Nigerian is not giving up hope of inspiring Trabzonspor to their eighth Super Lig title, their first since 1984.
“I am happy to be back after the injury,” Nwakaeme said in quotes carried by GazeteFutbol.
“But that says everything positive. However, we still have three games and are four points behind. Everything is still possible.
“We have done a great job this season and have not given up our hope for the championship.”
Trabzonspor next take the trip to the Denizli Atatürk Stadyumu, where they face Denizlispor with any result other than a win likely to hand the title to league leaders Basaksehir.