Nigeria international Victor Osimhen is getting set to return to action for his club this weekend as Napoli hit the road to Bergamo to lock horns with Atalanta in Serie A.
Osimhen picked up a hamstring injury in his right thigh last month in a Super Eagles friendly match with Saudi Arabia and has been out of action ever since for club and country.
The 24-year-old, who has been nominated for 2023 CAF Player of the Year award, has Napolitans itching to see him back in action for the club.
According to a report last week from Corriere dello Sport, Osimhen will lead the line for the Partenopei in their next Serie A game.
This was revealed from the possible line-up choices of Walter Mazzarri, the new Napoli coach, for his debut match in Bergamo against Atalanta next Saturday.
However, a post on X from respected Italian Journalist Giovanni Capuano on Monday morning has cast a shadow on Osimhen's chances of making the starting lineup for his club come Saturday.
Victor Osimhen’s Napoli return depends on latest tests
Capuano's post on X shows that the current Serie A Best Striker will undergo some tests from the club's medical team to assess the level of the player's fitness.
“Today [Tuesday], Osimhen will have a check-up to check the state of recovery from the injury that has kept him out since the beginning of October,” said Capuano.
“If the test is positive, he will receive a call-up to be on the bench in Atalanta vs Napoli [game].”
Oggi #Osimhen farà una visita di controllo per verificare lo stato di guarigione dall'infortunio che lo tiene fuori da inizio ottobre. Se il test dovesse essere positivo, strapperà una convocazione per andare in panchina in #AtalantaNapoli (#IlMattino) pic.twitter.com/68ULtTpOJN
— Giovanni Capuano (@capuanogio) November 21, 2023
After missing six games for his club, the Super Eagles frontman will be eager to play a part for Napoli as they face off against Gian Piero Gasperini's side.
Osimhen will also reunite with his Nigeria teammate Ademola Lookman as both players take to the field for their respective teams.
Ahead of gameweek 13, Napoli are ranked 4th on the Serie A table on 21 points after 12 rounds of matches. They are one point clear of Atalanta, who currently occupy 6th position.
Nigeria Super Eagles team felt Victor Osimhen's absence
Due to the hamstring injury Osimhen had, he was not included in the Super Eagles CAF World Cup qualifiers squad this November.
Nigeria were pre-tournament favourites to snatch top spot in Group C of the qualifying rounds.
However, Osimhen's absence was heavily felt as the national team couldn’t get a win against Lesotho on home soil in their first game and also against Zimbabwe in the second fixture, making qualification now a daunting task.
The Super Eagles came from behind in both games to snatch disappointing draws against teams supposedly not within their standards.
Osimhen, who netted 26 goals for Napoli in the league last season and has scored six for them so far this term, could have been the difference-maker for Nigeria.
The Eagles will now need him to be ready and in good shape for Napoli by the time January comes for the AFCON finals in Cote d'Ivoire.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
