Victor Osimhen’s participation in Napoli’s upcoming UEFA Champions League clash against LaLiga powerhouse Barcelona is in doubt.
Osimhen was absent from the Serie A champions’ 1-1 home draw against Genoa on Saturday. The 25-year-old striker returned late from international duty and only resumed training on Friday. Due to not being fully fit for action, he may also miss the crucial fixture against Barcelona, as stated by manager Walter Mazzarri.
Mazzarri mentioned after the Genoa game, “According to him and to the medics, he was down to his last legs. He had a series of muscular issues, and it would’ve been madness to play him here for 15 minutes and then risk losing him for months.”
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The decision to rest Osimhen was considered wise by both the player and the coaching staff, with the hope that he can recover in time for the Barcelona match. Mazzarri expressed his optimism cautiously, noting, “I say hope because I barely ever worked with Osimhen due to injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations; he was never in shape.”
Napoli is set to host Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 encounter at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday.