Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri admits Victor Osimhen may start on the bench against Braga in the Champions League tomorrow after missing a training session on Monday to attend the African Footballer of the Year Award.
The Partenopei host Braga at the Stadio Maradona on Tuesday, when they must avoid a heavy loss to qualify for the Champions League Round of 16. Even a defeat by a one-goal margin would allow the Serie A side to book a place for the knock-out phase.
It remains to be seen if Osimhen will be included in the starting XI as the Nigerian forward didn’t take part in a training session at Castel Volturno on Monday as he had taken a private flight to Morocco to attend the ceremony for the African Footballer of the Year Award.
Mazzarri told Sky Sport Italia, via TuttoNapoli, that Osimhen “did what he had to.”
“I will talk to him tomorrow and understand if he can start,” the Tuscan coach continued.
“The AFCON is around the corner too, so we know we must do without him for a while, we have two good players like Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone.”
Napoli have lost four of their opening seven Serie A games at the Stadio Maradona and suffered three consecutive losses with Mazzarri in charge.
Osimhen has scored six goals in 14 appearances with Napoli so far this season.