Napoli’s Spalletti offers Osimhen injury update ahead of Liverpool clash

Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has delivered positive updates on Victor Osimhen ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League encounter.

The Nigeria international is now in contention to figure in his plans against the Reds in a crunch fixture billed for Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

After picking up a knock in Napoli’s 2-1 win at Lazio during Sunday’s Serie A fixture, Osimhen was expected not to feature against Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Nonetheless, the tactician’s recent report serves as a soothing relief for the Italians who are gunning for a winning start against the Premier League side.

"Today he did personalized training with positive responses. If tomorrow he has the same impact and improves further, he can take part in the race,” Spalletti told the media during Tuesday’s pre-match conference.

The 63-year-old also revealed the kind of challenge he is expecting from the team, who plays with a different style than he is used to.

"Liverpool play with continuous changes of field and fan from right to left, it is a different football than the one we are used to in Italy,” he added.

“They use deep throws and do not make you breathe with continuous pressing and these balls over the line.

"Obviously apart from the tactical phase they then have great individuality and constantly exploit the one-on-one. It will take big lungs and also a lot of head to be able not to get oxygen removed and to be able to propose our game

"We will have to know how to accept that in some moments they may be superior to us, but without ever giving up our chances to impose ourselves.

“Being beautiful is not fundamental, you have to be effective and concrete. We don't go on the pitch to take compliments but to live up to the Champions League and collect points.”

Since his club record move from Ligue 1 outfit Lille to Italy, Super Eagles goal machine Osimhen has been a key player in the Napoli squad.

Despite an injury-plagued 2021-22 campaign, the 23-year-old scored 14 times in 27 Italian elite division outings.

So far in the current campaign, he has contributed two goals in five matches which he achieved against Monza and Verona.