Bad news for SSC Napoli: The reigning Italian champions may be without their top scorer Victor Osimhen (24) for up to four weeks. The Nigerian is even expected to be out for the Champions League second leg against Union Berlin.
SSC Napoli have – especially in the past season – gone through much easier phases. At the moment, the current title holders are trailing the music in Italy by a huge margin. They are already seven points behind league leaders Milan. In the Champions League, the southern Italians are tied with Braga for second place after losing 3-2 at home to Real Madrid.
And now, of all times, their most important offensive player is threatened with a long forced break. Napoli announced on its website on Monday that various tests on Victor Osimhen revealed that the top scorer had suffered a “moderate right thigh muscle injury” during his international trip with the Nigeria national team. Osmihen had immediately begun rehab in Naples.
The injury stems from Friday’s friendly against Saudi Arabia (2-2) in Portimao, Portugal, where Osimhen was in the starting eleven alongside Leverkusen’s most reliable attacker Victor Boniface (seven goals from seven games) and was substituted after 59 minutes. According to a report in the “Corriere dello Sport”, Osimhen could even be out for up to a month.
Out for both Union games?
The Serie A top scorer last season (26 goals), who has six goals from eight league games this season, would not be fit again until the next international break in mid-November.
In the event of a one-month absence, the two Champions League games against Union Berlin (24 October and 8 November) as well as the league games in Verona, against leaders Milan, in Salerno and against Empoli would be affected.