SSC Napoli of Italy striker, Victor Osimhen has received high hopes of returning to action this week, following his absence for almost two weeks, after copping a shoulder injury on international duty with the Super Eagles in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, megasportsarena.com reports.
Osimhen was again missing in Napoli’s line-up for last weekend’s Italian Serie A clash with AS Roma, but his colleagues romped to a stunning 4-0 victory, which was in contrast with their scandalous to AC Milan the weekend before, but they beat Rijeka of Croatia in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
Having now missed three club matches and one with the Nigerian national team, following the shoulder complaint he got in action for the Super Eagles against Sierra Leone at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Osimhen will be excited to get back onto the pitch this week.
He appears to have finally recovered fully from the dislocation he copped few minutes after he scored the Eagles’ second goal in the match that would eventually end 4-4, and he ended up missing the second left that finished goalless in Freetown.
He went on to miss action against Milan and Roma in the Serie A, both of which sandwich the Naples-based side’s past continental fixture last midweek, but the big-money summer signing from Lille Metropole of France has spent time working out individually in the gym and did some light work alone on the pitch, while his teammates did a recovery session.
Despite the squad thrashing Roma in Osimhen’s absence, Napoli’s coach, Genaro Gatuso is agonising over the lad’s absence and admitted he would love to have him back this week, and the gaffer spoke his mind after goals from Lorenzo Insigne, Fabian, Dries Mertens and Matteo Politano gave his team victory.
Osimhen missed a third consecutive game since his spell on the sidelines and though, from four matches he has not been involved for Napoli since his summer arrival from Lille, they have won three and drawn the other while scoring nine goals, Gattuso is still yearning direly for his prized buy.
This past weekend, Osimhen again had physiotherapy, continued personalised work on the pitch and returned to the gym, leaving Gattuso with high expectations that the youngster would be passed fit for the trip to AZ Alkmaar of Holland in the UEFA Europa League.
Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia: “We have missed Osimhen in recent weeks, remember, he is an important player.”
