VICTOR Osimhen will not be leading the line for Napoli against AC Milan in tomorrow’s Serie A fixture.
Leaders Napoli welcome the fourth-placed Milan to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in a dress rehearsal for their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie later in April.
Osimhen, the top scorer in Serie A with 21 goals from 23 appearances this season, has an adductor problem, according to Napoli.
The knock rules him out of the Serie A fixture, but Napoli are hopeful he will be fit for the Champions League, with the two legs billed for April 12 and April 18.
Napoli stated that Osimhen had an issue with his left adductor, a muscle that aids movement in the legs, upon his return from international duty with Nigeria.
Osimhen played both Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches for the Super Eagles against Guinea-Bissau on March 24 and March 27 in Abuja and Bissau respectively.
The 24-year-old underwent tests in Naples which showed a lesion and his condition will be evaluated next week.
Osimhen has already missed six matches this season through injury, sitting out four Serie A fixtures and two in the Champions League in September and October due to another muscle injury.
He is pivotal to Napoli’s impressive run this season, registering 25 goals and five assists in 29 appearances as the side cruise towards the Serie A title and are in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
The former Lille star is close to equalling and surpassing George Weah’s Serie A African goals record of 46.
Osimhen is on 45 and needs two more goals to become the all-time African top scorer in the Italian top flight.
