Kasimpasa handed Super Eagles blow as Trabzonspor star returns to training

Trabzonspor have received a boost before their important Süper Lig meeting with Kasimpasa after Paul Onuachu returned to team training, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nigerian striker had missed the club's previous two training sessions after picking up the injury during Trabzonspor's last match, according to NTVSpor. His return means he is now back in contention for Saturday's game at the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadyumu in Istanbul.

Trabzonspor will be the guest of Kasimpasa Fenerbahçe on Saturday, 15 August, in the opening weekend of the 2026-27 Trendyol Süper Lig season.

Onuachu returns to Trabzonspor training

Onuachu was rested after suffering a knock in Trabzonspor's 2-1 friendly defeat against Goztepe and did not take part in training for two days. He returned to the squad's session on Wednesday, giving coach Fatih Tekke a positive selection update ahead of the Kasimpasa fixture.

According to the report, there is no fresh setback from his return to training. Unless there is an unexpected problem before Saturday, Onuachu is expected to start against the Apaches.

His availability is particularly important because of his record in front of goal. The 6ft 7in striker finished last season with 22 Süper Lig goals, sharing the league's top-scorer award, while he scored 26 goals in all competitions.

That scoring record made him a major target for Fenerbahçe this summer. The Istanbul giants pushed to sign Onuachu and considered several offers to persuade Trabzonspor to sell their Nigerian forward. One reported proposal included €20m in cash plus forward Oğuz Aydın, while İsmail Yüksek was also discussed as part of earlier ideas.

However, Trabzonspor placed a much higher value on the striker. Their reported minimum asking price was €30m, with some figures inside the club putting his value as high as €40m. Offers in the €20m to €25m range therefore failed to convince the Black Sea club.

Saudi Arabian clubs have also shown interest in Onuachu, with Al Hilal and Al Ahli linked with the striker. However, the forward has indicated that he wants to continue with Trabzonspor, telling supporters that the club is where he belongs.

Trabzonspor have also made clear their intention to target the league crown after completing the signing of Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah. The Turkish Cup winners are also close to sealing the transfer of Al Hill's Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez.