The manager of Napoli, Luciano Spalletti is ecstatic about the return of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen ahead of their must-win UEFA Champions League clash with domestic rivals, AC Milan.
Victor Osimhen who has been sidelined for almost a month will play in Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Milan at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium.
Osimhen suffered a muscle injury while playing for Nigeria against Guinea-Bissau in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March. He was unable to play for Napoli against Milan in the opening leg of the Champions League quarterfinal.
The former VfL Wolfsburg striker is excelling in Serie A and has established himself as a key player for Spalletti’s squad.
With 21 goals in 23 games, the 24-year-old leads the Serie A scoring charts and his success is propelling Napoli to their first historic league title in three decades.
Last Saturday’s Serie A match between Napoli and Hellas Verona marked the return of the prolific striker from a thigh injury. He played for 25 minutes in the 0-0 draw.
Ahead of today’s Champions League match, coach Spalletti suggested that the club lacked fluidity and said he thought Osimhen’s return will strengthen the side’s assault.
“He (Osimhen) gave that burst of enthusiasm that our fans rightly attribute to him by now and he immediately showed that he was in the game,” Spalletti said.
“He needed these 25 minutes of running to be ready to play on Tuesday. It’s clear that we will also see the players in training.”
