SSC Napoli of Italy striker, Victor Osimhen has received a strong hint that he could return to action against Hellas Verona in the Italian Serie A this weekend, as he has been cleared to resume playing for his club, following his full recovery from injury and coronavirus.
Megasportsarena.com reports that Osimhen last played for his Naples-based club on November 8, as he copped a shoulder injury while on international duty, only for a positive COVID-19 test to put on hold his much-expected return earlier this month.
However, good news came his way on Friday, as the Chile 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup gold medalist and top scorer was informed by medics at Napoli that he had returned a negative test, after three positive results for the highly-contagious respiratory ailment.
Osimhen has now received the green light to rejoin La Parthenopeans in preparation for this weekend’s league clash, after Napoli confirmed that the product of Ultimate Strikers Football Academy of Ojota, Lagos has recovered from the infection that kept him in isolation for more than two weeks.
This is a huge relief for the 22-year-old Osimhen, who has made only nine appearances for the club he joined in a megabucks deal from Lille Metropole of France last summer, but he has just two goals and one assist since arriving in a club-record fee of €70m that could rise to €80m.
He gained that deal on the strength of his captivating performances for Lille during a single season spell in the French Ligue 1, where he netted 18 goals to win the club’s player of the year award, but he has struggled ever since both on and off the pitch.
The youngster, who previously played for VfL Wolfsburg of Germany and Sporting Charleroi of Belgium, but has scored twice in six appearances for Napoli, reportedly contracted the disease during his birthday party in Lagos, following which online video clips showed him having fun without observing anti-coronavirus precautions, and he was subsequently fined by his club.
He netted the winning goal for Napoli against Bologna in his last game on November 8, following which he suffered a shoulder dislocation on duty for Nigeria against Sierra Leone in a 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier that ended 4-4 in Benin City.
He has now tested negative and has received the all-clear to rejoin Gennaro Gattuso’s side in training, but it is not certain if he will be selected to battle Hellas Verona on Sunday, though his club’s media unit gleefully disclosed: “Victor Osimhen has recovered from Covid-19.”
