February 16, (THEWILL) – Napoli’s star forward Victor Osimhen will not feature in the Italian champions’ Serie A match against Genoa on Saturday, the club announced on Friday.
The 25-year-old Nigeria international has been undertaking personalised training sessions since returning from the African Cup of Nations. He is expected to continue these solo sessions on Saturday, as his teammates take on Genoa.
Osimhen last played for Napoli in a 2-0 away defeat to rivals Roma prior to Christmas, a fiery affair which saw him sent off. He then linked up with the Nigerian national team for the African Cup of Nations tournament hosted by Ivory Coast, where they were eventually beaten in a dramatic final by the hosts.
The usually prolific striker scored just once throughout the whole competition, in Nigeria’s opening 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea. His lack of form in front of goal will be a concern for Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri ahead of their crucial Champions League last-16 first-leg clash with Barcelona next Wednesday.
Napoli’s Serie A title defence has unravelled into a disastrous season following the departure of Scudetto-winning coach Luciano Spalletti last summer. The Partenopei currently sit 10th in the league table, 18 points behind leaders Inter Milan. Securing a top-four finish now looks a tall order, with Napoli four slots away from the UEFA Champions League qualification places.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
