Napoli hope to have their star striker Victor Osimhen back against Milan next week, but it depends on how the Nigeria international will adapt to a protective mask that could be ready in 48 hours.
Osimhen suffered multiple fractures in his face after a clash of heads with Inter defender Milan Skriniar on November 21.
He underwent surgery, after which Napoli revealed the Nigerian striker would remain out of action for approximately three months.
However, the striker returned to training at Castelvolturno last week and could make a quick recovery being available against Milan on December 19.
Calciomercato.com reports that a kevlar protective mask designed for the striker could be ready in 48 hours, although Osimhen is still not prepared to wear it.
“Two days are enough to make it,” said doctor Roberto Ruggiero who will be in charge of the realization of the mask with his staff.
“We can also change it if the athlete has problems. It’s a mask that Osimhen can wear during training sessions to avoid accidental collisions with his teammates.”
However, Osimhen will only wear the mask once the traumatized part of his face has completely deflated.
The player will undergo further medical examinations in the coming days and if the recovery is going the right way, Napoli doctor Raffaele Canonico will pass all the information to Ruggiero to begin the realization of the mask.
#Napoli, per #Osimhen maschera pronta in 48 ore: è corsa contro il tempo per il #Milan https://t.co/x9TNWJEnoI pic.twitter.com/Vv5Q1X4b8N
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) December 11, 2021