Super Eagles star returns to training 189 days after Achilles tendon rupture

Super Eagles striker Peter Olayinka has started training on the pitch at Red Star Belgrade after being sidelined for the last six months due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, Soccernet.ng reports.

Olayinka sustained an injury in Red Star Belgrade's UEFA Champions League game against Monaco in October 2024. It was eventually confirmed to be an Achilles tendon rupture which caused him to undergo surgery afterwards.

Usually, Achilles tendon ruptures take time, and Olayinka has been recovering since then. The injury has made him miss 31 games so far and has put him out of contention for a Super Eagles call-up.

However, in a new development, Olayinka has started training on the pitch. The Super Eagles star posted pictures of himself on the pitch, and Red Star Belgrade's social media page quoted it with the caption, “Things you love to see: Peter Olayinka is back on the training pitch.”

Things you love to see: Peter Olayinka back on the training pitch #FKCZ https://t.co/7UpkRRnOz2

— FK Crvena zvezda in English (@crvenazvezda_en) April 28, 2025

This means that he been doing gym work for a while, but he has now made significant progress and is close to returning to action.

When will Peter Olayinka return to action?

Although Peter Olayinka has started training on the turf, he still needs time before he can start playing. For now, he is still doing personal work on the pitch, but he will be able to train with his teammates in the coming days.

Hence, he will not be able to play for Red Star Belgrade this season. The Serbian kings have five games left until the end of the season, with their final game set for May 24. This will be a bit too early for the Super Eagles star.

The former Slavia Prague man will be looking to make his return to action during pre-season. Olayinka will hope that he still has his full mojo pre-season starts in July.