Napoli will be desperate to have Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen return for the second leg of their crucial all-Italian UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie against AC Milan on April 18.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s 40th minute goal at the San Siro proved to be enough for the hosts who now take a slender 1-0 advantage into the second leg at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples.
Napoli were without their main talisman Osimhen who had suffered a muscle injury while away on international duty with Nigeria’s Super Eagles in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying doubleheader against Guinea-Bissau in March.
The 24-year-old has been in blistering form for the Partenopei this season scoring 21 goals in 23 Serie A games while finding the back of the net five times in four Champions League outings.
However, Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti after the loss says he is certain Osimhen will be fit enough to feature in the return leg in Naples, “Victor Osimhen will 100% be available for the return leg at Maradona on Tuesday. He will be there,” Spalletti said after the loss.
Osimhen’s return will serve as a huge boost for the Serie A leaders but they will be without influential midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa who was shown a red card in the 74th minute of the loss.
