Osimhen Battles Injury Record Amid Possible Napoli Exit
Victor Osimhen could make his return from another injury lay-off this weekend when Napoli take on Atalanta in the Serie A.
The 24-year-old has not featured for the Italian champions since he picked up a hamstring problem while on international duty with Nigeria in October.
According to TransferMarkt, Osimhen has suffered 14 different injuries in 7 years, leading to conversations about him being injury-prone.
But Seyi Babalola, the ex-Media Lead at Key To The City Lagos, insists that Osimhen’s intense style is responsible.
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“Given that he’s had about 14 different reasons to miss games in the last seven years, you won’t be amiss to say he is injury-prone.
“Although the nature of most of his injuries seem to have to do with impact. Which could have more to do with his physical style of play than being “injury prone” in the traditional sense of the word,” Babalola said.
Since that time, Osimhen has missed key fixtures for Napoli and the Super Eagles.
His absence was keenly felt as Nigeria began their quest to be at the 2026 World Cup with successive 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
Head coach, Jose Peseiro, named Osimhen as one of the players he missed.
When asked whether the absence of some squad members contributed to the Eagles’ failure to defeat Zimbabwe, Peseiro said: “We missed Osimhen, Ndidi, Taiwo, Zaidu, Chukwueze but I think we had enough to beat Zimbabwe.”
The three-time African champions will not need Osimhen until January, when the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off.
But for Napoli, his return is very timely
The Partenopei’s last two results – a 1-1 draw with Union Berlin in the Champions League and a 1-0 home defeat to Empoli – proved to be the final nail in Rudi Garcia’s coffin.
During the international break, he was replaced by Walter Matarazzi.
Matarazzi will be hoping to get Osimhen and indeed Napoli back on track, as they seek to replicate their form which led to a first Scudetto in 33 years.
Babalola argues that Napoli’s poor form is down to a general problem and not Osimhen’s form.
“I mean, he’s not yet hit the heights of last season, but neither have Napoli as a team.
“I don’t think they’re creating chances with the same regularity,” Babalola noted.
Matarazzi would also need to deal with the uncertainty surrounding Osimhen’s future.
The Nigerian striker snubbed a mega-money offer from Saudi Arabia in the summer and was set to sign a contract extension in Naples, before a social media debacle.
Osimhen’s future became uncertain after the club’s official TikTok account mocked him for missing a penalty against Bologna.
Since then, former national team captain John Mikel Obi, has started a personal campaign to take him to Chelsea in the Premier League.
Next season, I know you are gonna come to Chelsea man,” Mikel Obi told Osimhen on the Obi One Podcast.
“I am telling you, I’m gonna be the agent to broker that deal.”
Between now and the 2024 summer window, a lot will happen. The AFCON tournament and the home stretch in Serie A. It would be important for Osimhen to be fit and firing throughout that period.
