Sadiq Umar Comments On His Fitness Status After Real Sociedad’s Draw

Nigerian striker, Sadiq Umar says he needs to keep playing more for him to return to full fitness after missing eleven months on the sidelines due to fitness issues.

Recall that a cruciate ligament injury kept Sadiq Umar out of football for more than a season. He sustained the injury in the La Liga game against Getafe in September 2022.

The 26-year-old forward had to undergo surgery to treat the injury and returned to action for Real Sociedad as he was featured from the bench in the game against Girona in August 2023.

Before he sustained the season-ending injury, Umar was having a great start to the 2022–2023 campaign. In five games, he had netted three goals, including his first goal for Real Sociedad against Atletico Madrid.

The former Almeria striker returned to the training field in May after an eight-month absence from contact training.

Before scoring the game-winning goal in Real Sociedad’s 2-1 victory over Sevilla on matchday 12, Umar had gone 11 games without scoring a goal since making his league comeback against Girona in the 2023–2024 season.

On Saturday, Osasuna held Sociedad to a 1-1 draw thanks to a goal from Sadiq Umar. The goal was his second successive goal in his last two league games.

After the draw, the Nigeria international commented on his fitness level and noted that more game time will help him get better.

He said: “I feel good, I think I’m getting better step by step because last season I was out. The more I play, the more I get better”.

On the game, Umar added: “It was not an easy game. We created a lot of opportunities, unfortunately. But we all know we deserved the three points.

“To play in this kind of stadium, against this kind of team is very hard. But I’m proud of the team because we fought hard and created a lot of chances, but it was not our day. Nonetheless, we keep going.”