Rio Adebisi: Will the gamble pay off?

Image Source - Peterborough United

Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony shared breaking news on the latest episode of his Hard Truth podcast that attacking-minded left-back Rio Adebisi was set to make his return. However, Adebisi was missing from the starting eleven today, raising the question: Where is Rio?

Image Source - The Hard Truth Podcast

25-year-old Rio Adebisi signed for Peterborough United from Crewe Alexandra for around £500,000 in June 2024. He’s made 139 appearances throughout his career, with the majority coming in League Two.

Club Career
Adebisi joined Crewe Alexandra’s academy at the age of 12, progressing up through the ranks to make his senior debut in an EFL Cup tie against Aston Villa in August 2019, followed by his league debut later that year. Despite early injury setbacks, he became a consistent starter and signed several contract extensions. He netted his first senior goal in October 2022 against AFC Wimbledon and added more in subsequent seasons, helping Crewe reach the League Two play-off final in 2024 before moving on.

On 3 July 2024, he joined Peterborough United on a 3-year contract.

Adebisi made his debut in that same December but was moved over to the sidelines soon after by a knee ligament injury that completely ruled him out for the remainder of the season. His absence from the latest squad now sparks fresh concerns about an even more recent setback in his recovery.

Peterborough’s current form offers both a warning and an opportunity — and that underlines just how important Adebisi’s return could be. The club sit 24th in League One for the 2025‑26 campaign, with just 10 points from 12 matches (3 wins, 1 draw, 8 losses). They are among the weakest teams in the division at both ends, as their attack has only managed about 0.77 goals per game, while their defence is leaking about 1.69 goals per game.

These numbers make Adebisi's absence from the team more noteworthy. His presence as a left-back, renowned for both his offensive and defensive contributions, could strengthen an extremely struggling defence and provide width and support in attack. Adding a player who can overlap, cross balls in, and defend could help the weakened left side, which has looked particularly vulnerable in recent games.

However, Adebisi’s constant injuries across his career have cast a shadow over his talent. His time at Crewe Alexandra was interrupted by several spells on the sidelines, beginning with a foot injury in the 2019-2020 season and then followed by another serious foot issue in 2022, which required the left-back to have surgery and left him out of the matchday squad for 4 months.

When Peterborough paid that 500 thousand pound fee for the player back in June 2024, a lot of analysts saw the signing as perhaps a gamble. He was seen as potentially unreliable, and due to his repetitive injuries, concerns from fans surfaced. And they sprang back up again in pre-season when an immediate knee injury ruled Adebisi out for three months.

These injuries, however, have followed him into his first year at Peterborough, and the mystery of when he will come back arises just weeks after the owner of the club, Darragh MacAnthony’s comments.

For now, though, fans of the Posh are left asking the same question: Where is Rio Adebisi — and will his long-awaited return ever arrive?