Victor Osimhen ruled out for Champions League first-leg clash against Milan

Osimhen has missed the last two matches for Napoli after injuring the adductor muscle in his left leg while on international duty with Nigeria. He missed the Serie A clash against AC Milan

Victor Osimhen is Naploli’s top scorer this season. | Photo Credit: MASSIMO PINCA/REUTERS

Napoli will be without its striker Victor Osimhen in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against AC Milan, the club president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed on Tuesday.

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Osimhen has missed the last two matches for Napoli after injuring the adductor muscle in his left leg while on international duty with Nigeria. He missed the Serie A clash against AC Milan

Osimhen has not trained with the team since returning to Naples last month and Italian media reports said Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis told concerned fans at the weekend that Osimhen would not be fit in time for the match.

“Victor is not in a position to play, unfortunately,” De Laurentiis was quoted as saying. “We hope to have him back for the return fixture” on April 18.

Osimhen is the top scorer in the Italian league this season and his 21 goals have played a crucial role in Napoli’s seemingly unstoppable march to a first Serie A title since Diego Maradona led the club to its only two Italian league championships in 1987 and 1990. Napoli has a 16-point lead at the top of the table with the team also featuring dribbling wizard Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and influential midfielder Stanislav Lobotka.

WITH INPUTS FROM AP