The Super Eagles striker was back in partial team training on Saturday, giving the outgoing Serie A champions a boost before Sunday’s game against the champions-elect.
Napoli have revealed that Victor Osimhen was back in partial team training on Saturday after missing participation with the group a day earlier.
16:22 - 15.03.2024
Nigeria's Osimhen racing against time to face Inter after training alone
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen could miss SSC Napoli's decisive clash against Serie A leaders Inter Milan this weekend.
Another Osimhen injury
The Super Eagles centre-forward sustained a muscle issue in the Partenopei’s Champions League defeat by Barcelona in mid-week, leaving Francesco Calzona unsure about his top striker’s availability.
Osimhen has had one lengthy injury in every season with the Serie A club, sustaining a shoulder problem on Nigeria duty in the 2020-21 campaign, breaking his cheekbone the following season in a fixture at this weekend's opponents Inter Milan, and struggling with varying hamstring injuries in the last two seasons, missing for over a month from October to November 2023.
Having been a doubt for Sunday’s visit to Inter, the African Footballer of the Year could feature against the Nerazzurri.
Osimhen returns to team training ahead of Napoli’s visit to Inter
The club, on Saturday, revealed that Osimhen joined group training briefly after initially training alone, pointing to some involvement for the Super Eagles striker on Sunday.
Napoli head into the match at San Siro 31 points behind their table-topping hosts, expected to dethrone the Partenopei, who won their first Scudetto last season after 33 years, with the Nigerian claiming an unprecedented Capocannoniere.
How has Osimhen fared under Calzona?
Despite firing blanks in his last two Serie A outings against Juventus and Torino and struggling in Napoli’s European elimination by Barcelona, Osimhen has netted four league goals since Calzona replaced Walter Mazzarri, level with teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Roma forward Paulo Dybala.
What comes next for Osimhen and Napoli?
Osimhen’s next goal takes him to 12 in the league and 62 in Serie A overall as Napoli’s latest Centurion hopes to help his side to a positive result at Inter.
Several members of the Napoli squad go away on international duty after the game at San Siro but return to action with league action against Atalanta on March 30 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.