The former Lille star was taken off in the 55th minute of Napoli’s Serie A encounter against Inter Milan on Sunday evening
Victor Osimhen faces a race against time to be fit for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations due to his injury in Napoli’s clash against Inter Milan.
Osimhen broke his left cheekbone and orbit following a clash with Milan Škriniar in Inter Milan’s box. As a result, Osimhen will need surgery and be out for a considerable amount of time.
But what do we know about the two injuries, and when is the earliest possible time he could return?
As revealed above, Osimhen suffered a cheekbone and orbit injury. The cheekbone forms part of the eye socket, and according to Hey NHS, only the doctor that examined the nature of the fracture can determine the type of treatment needed.
In Osimhen’s case, he will need surgery, as revealed in a statement released by Napoli after the game. According to Hey NHS, it takes about six weeks after surgery for a cheekbone to heal properly.
While this is good news for Osimhen and Nigeria, it is important to note that he also broke his orbit, which also requires surgery.
Orbital fractures are the most common forms of facial fractures. And according to Pubmed, it takes about three weeks after surgery for the patient to recover fully.
This means Osimhen could be out for a combined nine weeks, although if both injuries are treated at the same time, he could be back in six weeks.
Nonetheless, irrespective of what happens, the 22-year-old is a doubt for Nigeria at next year’s AFCON, which begins on January 9.
Osimhen’s injury is also a blow to Napoli’s title hopes. The Nigerian striker has been the team’s best player this season, but they will have to be without him for at least two months.
Even if he recovers in six weeks, Osimhen is likely not to play for the Neapolitans until February due to Nigeria’s involvement in AFCON.
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