Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri reveals Osimhen’s availability status ahead of Genoa and Barcelona games

Osimhen arrived in Napoli a few hours later than he was expected, and he may not be in action for them this weekend

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri has stated that he would have to talk to Osimhen during training to determine his availability for the club’s Serie A game against Genoa this weekend, Soccernet.ng reports.

Osimhen returned to Napoli late after his exploits with Nigeria at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished second after painfully losing to Cote d’Ivoire in the final.

The former Lille star was supposed to return to Napoli on Thursday morning, but he missed his flight and eventually returned to Italy on Thursday night.

The 25-year-old striker is expected to return to training on Friday ahead of Napoli’s game against Genoa on Saturday. Ahead of the game, Napoli boss Mazzarri has stated that he is unsure of Osimhen’s availability.

“As soon as he arrives this afternoon for training, I will speak to him to understand how he is and whether he can make himself available for the match. It’s in doubt because, in the last game (against Cote d’Ivoire), he was pulled to pieces,” Mazzarri said per Pazzidifanta.

Osimhen would have to be assessed by the Napoli medical team to ascertain his fitness. As it stands, the likely outcome is for him to start from the bench. Nevertheless, he should be fine to play for Napoli in the UEFA Champions League next week.