Aguirre signs the forward he needed

Latest news on Valencia. The Che team faces the derby against Villarreal, this Saturday at Mestalla, with positive news for Javier Aguirre: Umar Sadiq, a 29-year-old Nigerian forward, has participated in the warm-up with his teammates and is nearing the end of his recovery. However, he is still not ready to compete, and the goal is for him to return to training with the group next week, with the match against Elche as a possible return date.

Valencia awaits Sadiq to strengthen the attack

Sadiq has returned to the pitch with the rest of the squad during the initial part of the session in Paterna. The striker continues his recovery process after suffering a hamstring injury in his right leg on August 30, during the match against Deportivo de La Coruña.

The medical report published by the club on September 1 confirmed the injury and established a treatment, physiotherapy, and readaptation process before his return. The evolution of the last few weeks suggests that he is close to completing that phase, although he still needs to get through the next training sessions before being cleared to compete.

The plan is for him to work normally with the group next week. If he meets the timelines and no new issues arise, Valencia could include him in the squad to visit Elche at the Martínez Valero.

SADIQ 🎙️ @RadioMARCA ⚽️ The player warms up with the team and then TRAINS alone 🥲 FOULQUIER resumes training alone ✌🏻 COPETE trains normally https://t.co/MxzFVVC3vY

— Radio Marca Valencia (@RMValencia) October 22, 2026

Javier Aguirre prepares for the derby against Villarreal

Sadiq's possible return will not be in time for Saturday's match unless the expected timeline changes. Valencia focuses on hosting Villarreal at Mestalla, a match for which José Copete has a chance of returning to the squad after nearly eight months away from competition.

Copete has been training normally for several days and could reappear precisely against the opponent with whom he got injured in February. The coaching staff and medical services will need to assess if he is ready to compete again after a prolonged recovery.

The situation with Dimitri Foulquier creates another uncertainty. The full-back had been participating in sessions with his teammates in recent days, but in the most recent training, he worked separately and did not join the group on the field during the open part to the media.

The forward aims for the match against Elche

Sadiq's recovery would provide an additional option for Valencia's attack, which has had to do without the Nigerian since late August. Before returning to play, the forward will need to complete the transition to group training and demonstrate that he can handle the workload without setbacks.

Aguirre had already hinted that the return was near, but the club has not announced a definitive date for his comeback. His inclusion in the Elche match will depend on his progress in the coming days and the final medical evaluation.

For now, Valencia will face the derby still unable to count on Sadiq as a competitive option. The week following the match against Villarreal will be crucial to ascertain if Umar Sadiq can rejoin the group and be part of Javier Aguirre's plans for the visit to the Martínez Valero.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Aguirre "ficha" al delantero que necesitaba