Femi Solaja
Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen, returned to training yesterday despite doctors’ reports that the Nigerian may be away from the game for upward of 90 days.
Napoli confirmed Osimhen’s return on their Twitter handle on Wednesday.
The Nigerian international suffered a fractured eye socket and cheekbone after a head collision with Inter’s Milan Skriniar in a Serie A clash which ended 3-2 in favour of the Italian champions.
Following the surgery carried out on Osimhen, medics in Italy told Napoli that their prized striker will be out of action for three months.
However, Napoli published a short video of Osimhen doing light jogging at the club’s Castel Volturno training ground.
In the video, Osimhen ran the field alone while his teammates were preparing for the decisive Europa match against Leicester tonight.
According to Napoli Manager, Luciano Spalletti: “Day after day, we will urge him and see what answers he will give. Based on how he reacts, we will see the recovery times. Knowing the element, we are very confident for a recovery as soon as possible. The situation will be protected, but from the point of view of the player’s availability to shorten a bit everything possible will be done,” he said at the press conference ahead of the break-or-bend match against Leicester tonight.
Napoli accompanied the video with the caption”Victor is back in training ?
?#ForzaNapoliSempre.”
It remains to be seen if Osimhen will recover in time for Nigeria’s participation in the AFCON tournament in Cameroon after he had been initially ruled out.
Osimhen has scored crucial five Serie A goals and four more in the Europa League for Napoli this season. He netted four times in six games to help Nigeria reach Africa’s World Cup play-offs scheduled for next March.
The former Lille player also finished as joint-top scorer in qualifying for the delayed Nations Cup with five goals.
