The Tanzania star suffered an injury during a Turkish Cup outing against Sivas Belediyespor on Tuesday
Mbwana Samatta will miss Fenerbahce’s Turkish Super Lig match against Besiktas on Sunday due to a knee injury and a strain on his joint capsule.
Samatta played for 60 minutes in a Turkish Cup fixture against second-tier club Sivas Belediyespor on Tuesday, which ended in a 4-0 win for the Yellow Canaries.
He then underwent an MRI scan at the Acibadem Altunizade Hospital which indicated a strain on his joint and a flexion in the left medial ligament of his knee.
“Samatta, who was injured in his foot during yesterday’s match, revealed a flexion in the left medial ligament of the knee and a strain on the joint capsule in the MRI taken at Acıbadem Altunizade Hospital. The treatment of our player has been started,” a club statement read.
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Ahead of the Istanbul derby at the Ulker Stadium on Sunday, manager Erol Bulut disclosed that the Tanzania captain will be on the sidelines for three to four weeks.
“Samatta played 60 minutes in the match (Sivas Belediye Spor). We took him from the game thinking about the weekend game.” Bulut said.
“I’ve already spoken to him. We took him from the game without knowing his injury. Unfortunately, the results were not good. He will go through a 3-4 week process regarding his injury.”
Samatta, who is on a season-long loan with the Yellow Canaries, has scored two goals in seven league appearances since he arrived from Aston Villa in September.
Bulut described the 27-year-old striker as an asset despite his struggles in front of goal, with his last effort dating back to October 3 when he scored a brace against Fatih Karagumruk.
“I also talked to him about his situation,” the manager added.
“He is a very important football player for us. It does not mean that Samatta did not play a match, which means he lost his place in the top 11.
“He is very valuable to us. He will be very valuable from now on. What we need is a football player, just as we need other footballers. I hope he will return to the team as soon as possible and benefit us more.”
