Napoli manager, Luciano Spalletti has bemoaned Victor Osimhen’s absence in the Partenopei’s last two league games.
Osimhen is currently sidelined after returning from international duty with a muscle injury last week.
The 24-year-old missed Napoli’s 4-0 thrashing against AC Milan last weekend and Friday night’s 2-1 win at Leece.
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Spalletti admitted that the Naples club are missing their talismanic forward and hinted that they have to hold back the forward back from featuring against Leece.
“Osimhen wants to play every game, but there are situations that need to be evaluated carefully. He really did run the risk of hurting himself badly and being ruled out for the rest of the season, so the medics were right to make him take some time out,” Spalletti said after the game.
“Now we need to see if with a little strong physical activity the pressure on the muscles grows and how he reacts, because so far he has only done some basic jogging.
“It does become difficult without him, because he has this way of running into space, this physicality, he can draw everyone to him and therefore create the space for his teammates.”
By Adeboye Amosu
4 Comments
“The medics stopped him”But the Nigerian officials couldn’t stop him when it was confirmed he had fitness problems prior to the last internationals at Bissau..
This is some of the reasons foreign clubs are reluctant to release their players.The Nigerian officials should have stepped in and pick another striker Iheanacho for instance could have deputised for the Napoli hitman.
Osimhen wasn’t professional for insisting on playing when he had discomfort in his muscles knowing that could worsen and risk his ambitions for the season.If he was ruled out for the rest of the season that could cost him the opportunity of winning the top prize as the best player in Africa and also the ballon d’or.Because in Africa they can bully the coaches to be selected just like some captain undeservedly kept making the lists fraudulently and shockingly getting support from some supporters,Osimhen can’t do same in Napoli where professionalism is in practice likewise the captain.
He was stopped even though he was willing and insisting on featuring against Lecce,they should have stopped him in our return leg against Guinea Bissau to save his career and respect his employers who pay the hefty medical and wage bills…
Iheanacho???? Dude is not serious at all
I agree with you totally. If Pesseiro is truly a tactical coach, he wouldn’t have started Osimhen in Abuja. Every opponent would have planned a way to stopping him. Keep him on the bench, get them disappointed and he comes as super sub. Knowing fully how physical the African game is. Just my opinion
With the rate at which Osimhen was going at Napoli this season, I don’t want Nigeria to invite him for any friendly or qualify match. We already know he is good. NFF should have allow Osimhen to continue to shine and be breaking records in his club and continue to make Nigeria name great at world level.
Countries in our nations cup qualify group are not that deadly. We have more than enough players that can handle them
Osimhen should have been allowed to remain in his club and continue with the good work without any distraction.
I pray he recovers quickly.