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Nigerian attacker Umar Sadiq will be operated on Thursday, according to his club Real Sociedad.
The towering forward ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the team’s 2-1 La Liga loss 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.
It is a blow for the club, who paid a record €20m, with another potential €5m 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 1-1.
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 Peseiro, who had hoped to have the player available for the September 27 international friendly game against Algeria.
