SAN FRANCISCO, January 01, (THEWILL) –Â Nigerian striker for Napoli Victor Osimhen has returned a positive result for Coronavirus on his return to Italy. His Serie A club confirmed this on Friday.
Having been on the sidelines since dislocating his shoulder while playing in the Super Eagles squad at the double-header against Sierra Leone in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, the 21-year-old was preparing to return to competitive football this month.
But, the ex-Lille forward was tested on his return from the Belgium location of his club-sanctioned continued period of convalescence and he tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement on Osimhen, the club said: “Napoli can confirm that Victor Osimhen has tested positive for COVID-19 following his return to Italy.
“Osimhen is currently asymptomatic and has not come into contact with the rest of the squad.”
The Southern Italian side obtained the services of the Nigerian striker from French outfit Lille for a club record fee of up to 80 million euros ($94.6 million) on a five-year deal last summer. While it has not immediately paid off, Osimhen has netted twice in six league appearances while also being involved with a lot of forward movement in the games he played to gain the confidence of manager Gennaro Gattuso.
However, he has not been a part of the Napoli squad since picking up the shoulder injury. Reports of his return to training with the rest of the team were just making the rounds with the possibility of him coming into the team sheet for the Italian Super Cup against Juventus on January 20 in Reggio Emilia but this positive test could rule him out of that encounter.
Currently, Napoli are fifth in Serie A. Their next game is a trip to Cagliari this Sunday as the Italian league returns from the Christmas break. But, Osimhen will be watching from his place in self- isolation, according to standard coronavirus protocols.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
