Osimhen Set To Face Real Madrid In Champions League Clash

Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen is unlikely to start for Napoli against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, according to Walter Mazzarri.

Osimhen recently returned from a thigh injury after missing Napoli’s last six games in all competitions.

He came off the bench to record an assist in Napoli’s 2-1 win over Atalanta on Saturday.

Mazzarri, who recently replaced the sacked Rudi Garcia in the dugout for Napoli, is cautious of overloading Osimhen ahead of a busy schedule.

“I will talk to the doctors and Osimhen,” Mazzarri told a press conference.

“We will see if he will be able to do a quarter or a half. Such an important player should not be overloaded. We’ll see whether to start him or bring him into the game.”

“Tomorrow, we have a very important head-to-head against one of the strongest teams in the world, and we will see where we stand. In the meantime, let’s start winning again,” he said.

Mazzarri also hailed Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti and Jude Bellingham following his impressive start to life in Spain.

“It is clear that Bellingham is phenomenal. He can become great. Ancelotti, he’s the best, because he is the one who has won it all. But it’s not me and him on the pitch; the teams will face each other, and we’ll see what happens.

“Real on paper are one of the strongest in the world. How do you put Real in difficulty? Tomorrow, when we take the field, we’ll see.”

Osimhen is still waiting for his first Champions League goal this season after playing just two matches due to injury.

Real Madrid are currently on top of Group C with 12 points from four games, Napoli have seven points from the same number of games to sit second.