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Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri has revealed the reason Victor Osimhen was not included in the matchday squad against Genoa.
Recall Osimhen returned to training on Friday after his participation at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations where he led the Super Eagles to the finals.
The 25-year-old on Saturday watched from the stands as Napoli setted for a 1-1 draw against Genoa.
According to Mazzarri, Osimhen is not fully fit and it would have been risky to play him against Genoa.
“According to him and the medics, he was down to his last legs. He had a series of muscular issues and it would’ve been madness to play him here for 15 minutes and then risk losing him for months,” Mazzarri said after the game.
“It was wise, as the player himself agreed, to rest better and hope he can be ready for Barcelona. I say hope because I barely ever worked with Osimhen due to injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations, he was never in shape.”
Napoli will host Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 contest at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Tuesday.
Credit: Vanguard News
