Injured Super Eagles and Napoli of Italy striker, Victor Osimhen, is set to join Watford of England midfielder, Oghenekaro Etebo, as two Eagles players who will miss next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cameroon.
Any hope of the powerful forward making it to the AFCON was dashed after doctors who operated the cheekbone injury he sustained on Sunday night against Inter Milan insisted it may take 90 days for the Nigerian international to return to action.
Osimhen’s club, Napoli, posted the news on their club website almost immediately after the successful surgery to the cheekbone and eye socket by top Italian doctor, Gianpaolo Tartaro.
Tartaro was assisted by Dr Mario Santagata and Dr Raffaele Canonico.
“Titanium plates and screws were used in the operation,” said a statement on the Napoli website.
Also Read: Osimhen out for a month after suffering injury
“The player (Osimhen) is doing well and will remain under observation for the next few days,” Napoli statement stressed.
The news will be a blow for both club and country, with Osimhen in a rich vein of form at the moment.
With the next AFCON kicking off on January 9 in Cameroon, Osimhen is effectively ruled out of the Nigerian squad. The Super Eagles camp is due to open in Lagos on December 27.
It is not yet certain if he will be fit enough to be part of Eagles 2022 World Cup final playoff scheduled for March, barely one month after the AFCON in Cameroon.
For Napoli chasing a third Italian Scudetto in the club history, Osimhen’s absence appears to have thrown spanners into the works.
The Naples side presently shares the same 32 points from 13 matches at the top of Serie A with AC Milan but better on goals aggregate.
Osimhen has scored crucial five Serie A goals and four more in the Europa League for Napoli this season.
He netted four times in six games to help Nigeria reach Africa’s World Cup play-offs scheduled for next March.
The former Lille player also finished as joint-top scorer in qualifying for the delayed Nations Cup with five goals.
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