The Super Eagles striker was absent through injury as Valencia held Athletic Club to a 0-0 draw at the Mestalla, lifting them to six points.
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Super Eagles striker Umar Sadiq missed Valencia’s 0-0 La Liga draw against Athletic Club at the Mestalla on Saturday because of a hamstring injury. As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, the 29-year-old has made three appearances and scored one goal for Valencia this season.
Sadiq is expected to be out until mid-November, according to team news from several match previews. He had already been ruled out before the game, along with Sergi Canós and Diego López.
The point lifted Valencia to six points from nine games. They started the day 19th with five points, so the draw was a small step in a difficult season.
A Draw Of Few Chances
Athletic had most of the ball, especially early on, with Iñaki Williams and Robert Navarro leading their attack. Valencia grew into the game and created several decent chances, but Unai Simón made key saves to protect the clean sheet.
At the other end, goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski and the Valencia defence stayed solid. Athletic striker Gorka Guruzeta went off injured in the second half.
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What It Means For Sadiq
Sadiq’s absence hurts Valencia’s attack, because he scored the only goal when they beat Athletic 1-0 away in May.
A mid November return also puts his availability for the Super Eagles’ November qualifiers against Tanzania in doubt. Is that a worry for the NFF? Possibly, because Nigeria need goals after the 3-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau.
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Valencia’s Road Ahead
Valencia face Villarreal on October 24, with kick-off listed for 17:30. With Canós and López also out, injuries remain a major issue.
Valencia have struggled for results this season, so a clean sheet will be welcome. The challenge now is turning defensive discipline into goals without their top striker.
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For Sadiq, the focus is recovery. For Valencia, it’s finding a way to score before he returns.
📌 Did You Know?
- Sadiq was born on February 2, 1997, and joined Valencia permanently from Real Sociedad in January 2026.
- Valencia finished last season ninth in La Liga on 49 points.
- Athletic Club are coached by Edin Terzić.
- A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in memory of former Valencia goalkeeper Antonio RamÃrez.
- Athletic Club described the game as their final league match at the Mestalla.
