Victor Osimhen will be available for Napoli’s crucial Champions League clash with Milan next week, according to Luciano Spalletti.
The striker missed the Partenopei’s first-leg quarter-final 1-0 loss at San Siro courtesy of Ismael Bennacer’s first-half finish on Wednesday with an adductors injury while on international duty with Nigeria.
But having sat out the first leg defeat, Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti expressed optimism that the 24-year-old is fit for the second leg and will feature 100 per cent against the Rossoneri next week.
“Victor Osimhen will 100 per cent be available for the return leg at (Stadio Diego Armando Maradona) on Tuesday,” he said. “He will be there.
“Keeping out of the first leg and not risking him on Saturday (against Verona) will probably allow us to complete the work built by the doctors, then anything can happen.”
Osimhen leads the Serie A scoring charts with 21 goals this season and has been integral to the club’s runaway lead in the race for the Scudetto.
Meanwhile, ahead of the second leg, Napoli will also be without Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s dismissal, who was sent off after a second yellow card for pushing Theo Hernandez as well as Kim Min-Jae following a late booking, but Spalletti believes his side will adapt to their loss.
“Any absence is damaging at this stage of the season, but we also have players who can fill in, which is why we are where we are,” he added to Sky Sport Italia.
“We trust the squad. We are sad not to have Anguissa, as it feels unjust not to have him, but there’s nothing we can do. I won’t comment on the referee, that is not my role.” – Agency report.
