Naples, Osimhen injured: there is an alarm

Autumn is not the best season for Victor Osimhen in Naples and after the last stop on Friday in Portugal against Nigeria, it is time to make some begging because the news that leaks does not leave one at peace. In addition to an involvement of the femoral biceps of the right thigh, yesterday the center forward underwent an MRI on his right knee, due to a tendon that does not convince the Nigerian medical staff, who however downplays it with his Naples colleagues.

hi nigeria

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The result is that the player left the national team retreat in the evening and – as was already clear – will not play tomorrow’s friendly match in Albufeira against Mozambique. In the evening he will return to Naples where on Monday he will most likely be subjected to new and more in-depth tests by the Italian club in order to draw up a more precise diagnosis and then evaluate the relative recovery times. It is difficult to say today how long Victor will remain still, but we hope the Nigerian doctors are right.

silences

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Yesterday no official news arrived from Portugal, where Nigeria is in retreat. Silence was preferred, which is a little unsettling, given what transpires is not comforting. Yesterday morning, after a night’s rest, the center forward underwent an examination by the Nigerian national team doctors who found a slight pain in the muscle fibers of the right hamstring, it could also be a simple contracture. But the problem would also be in the right hamstring. And for this reason, in the afternoon the athlete underwent an MRI scan, the results of which will only be communicated today. But in the meantime the concern is rising because at this point the athlete will have to undergo a series of tests so that the stability of the knee and obviously also of the thigh which must regain perfect elasticity given the excellent physical machine that the Napoli scorer constantly urges.

black autumn

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Speaking of his autumns: since he has been in Naples he hasn’t gone through one in perfect physical condition. In 2020 a bad shoulder injury, which also happened in the national team, kept him out for a long time. In 2021, again in November, the compound fracture of the cheekbone and facial bones, his most serious injury, still remembered today by the mask he wears on his face to protect himself from possible blows. And even in last season, his best, between September and October he stopped due to a hamstring strain, the same muscle affected by the discomfort suffered in Friday’s friendly match against Roberto Mancini’s Saudi Arabia.

the alternatives

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It becomes too optimistic to think that Osimhen could be available next Saturday in Verona. Even if the next exams will avoid complications, a little caution, given the close commitments, seems logical. So at this point the favorite will be the former Giovanni Simeone. The Argentine already started at center forward in Lecce, when Garcia had decided to let Osimhen rest a bit ahead of the match against Real Madrid. Cholito has already scored against Udinese, coming off the bench, and he hopes to have new opportunities to exploit. The other candidate is Giacomo Raspadori, started as a central striker last night by Luciano Spalletti for the national team against Malta. The other Jack, Bonaventura, scored, but the Bolognese is always competitive. And who knows, Garcia might think of fielding him alongside Simeone with the 4-2-3-1.