Ex-Lazio boss insists Victor Osimhen crucial to Napoli’s Scudetto hopes

The Nigerian international only joined the Azzurris last year, but he has since become an integral part of the title-chasing side

Former Lazio manager Delio Rossi believes Napoli cannot win this season’s Serie A title if Victor Osimhen is sidelined for a lengthy period.

Napoli announced themselves as solid title contenders after rising to and staying at the peak of the league table for several weeks.

Osimhen played a crucial role in that brilliant run, scoring five goals and winning a couple of penalties as Luciano Spalletti’s men won ten, drew two, and lost none of their opening 12 Serie A matches.

But Osimhen suffered a nasty facial injury in Napoli’s game week 13 clash against Inter Milan – which they eventually lost 3-2 for their first defeat of the season – and has been unavailable since.

In the striker’s absence, Napoli have won just one of four matches in all competitions, with Il Partenopei dropping to third on the league table, two points behind AC Milan and one behind Inter Milan.

Also, Senegal international defender Kalilou Koulibaly was sidelined for Napoli’s 3-2 loss at home to Atalanta after suffering a knock in the 2-2 draw away to Sassuolo penultimate weekend.

And Rossi, who guided Lazio to the 2009 Copa Italia triumph, has tipped Napoli to be among the Italian Serie A title contenders if they can keep Osimhen and Koulibaly fit.

“They all have the same possibilities. The championships are decided in March,” Rossi told Tuttomercatoweb via TuttoNapoli when asked name who would win the championship.

“Napoli lost Koulibaly and Osimhen, for a period they can compensate, but in the long run, they can’t.

“We will have to see what happens to the other teams, which is why I say that everything will be decided in March.”

Osimhen, though, has made a quick recovery from his facial wounds and was spotted in training on Wednesday afternoon.

The Napoli forward was expected to be out of action for three months, but it has been only three weeks since he had surgery.