Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli has disclosed that Nigeria international Victor Osimhen is having issue ‘with his abductor’ as doctors sweat on the availability of the Nigerian international for today’s opening Group A UEFA Champions League match against Liverpool at the Diego Maradona Stadium.
The 23-year-old striker according to the club’s website, trained alone for the second day after being culled from the rest of the team on Monday as he reportedly suffered minor muscle injury in the final minutes of Napoli’s 2-1 away win at Lazio on Saturday at the Stadio Olimpico.
“The Azzurri were hard at work at the SSCN Konami Training Centre…after a warm-up and rondos, the team trained on pitch one, with a programme centred around technical and tactical drills, set-piece practice and training matches on a small pitch,” the club said in a statement. “Hirving Lozano joined the group for the entire session.
“Victor Osimhen followed his own programme in the gym and on the pitch, while Diego Demme had treatment and a personalised session on the pitch.”
But Giuntoli hinted Napoli’s medical team were sweating on Osimhen’s availability against Liverpool
“He has a little issue with his adductor, but no lesion,” Giuntoli said as per La Gazzetta dello Sport. “He and medical staff must decide what to do against Liverpool.”
Adductor strain, according to experts, ‘is a common cause of groin injury and pain among athletes and the risk factors include previous hip or groin injury, age, weak adductors, muscle fatigue, decreased range of motion, and inadequate stretching of the adductor muscle complex’.
Yet the Italian tabloid further claimed that the energetic Osimhen is willing to face Liverpool in what is Napoli’s opening match after being drawn in Group A also along with Ajax and Rangers.