Liverpool kick-start their Champions League campaign against Napoli on the opening match-day of Group A. The Reds will travel to Naples as they once again take on the Italians in group stage after the two sides were drawn in the same group in 2019/20 season as well. Liverpool will be hoping to shrug-off their dismal start to the season, which has them languishing in seventh place in the Premier League after just two wins from six games.
However, the Reds have received a timely boost ahead of their trip to Italy as Napoli have confirmed that their star striker Victor Osimhen is a doubt for the clash. The 23-year-old played full 90 minutes of Napoli’s away win at Lazio in their last game, but suffered a minor knock in the closing stages. The Italian side have now issued an update over his injury, which will certainly have given Jurgen Klopp a sigh of relief.
Osimhen doubt for Napoli as Liverpool welcome back their injured stars
Victor Osimhen has been a brilliant signing for Napoli, who forked out a whopping £68 to acquire his services from Lille back in the summer of 2020. Th Nigerian has since netted an impressive 30 goals in 67 games for the club, also registering 10 assists. He was in high demand this summer, as many from the Premier League, including Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham wanted to bring him to England.
He has started this season on a positive note as well, bagging two goals and an assist in five Serie A outings. While he couldn’t get on the score-sheet against Lazio in the last game, Osimhen did pick a minor muscle injury. The club has now confirmed that he has trained alone and is a doubt for the Liverpool showdown. “Osimhen trained separately from the team due to a muscle problem suffered in the final minutes of Lazio-Napoli,” read the official statement from Napoli.
Napoli are expected to make a late call on the 23-year-old’s availability after assessing the reports of his scans. Another attacker of theirs, Hirving Lozano too suffered a head injury and was subbed-off against Lazio. He has undergone x-rays and the results are negative as confirmed by the club of any serious injury. However, he too is training individually and would be a subject to late call against Liverpool.
This comes as a huge blow for Luciano Spalleti’s side, but a blessing [in disguise] for Liverpool. The Reds have frequently leaked in goals this season, costing them crucial wins. Moreover, they already hold a poor record against Napoli, who remained undefeated against the Reds over the course of two legs during the 19/20 campaign. The Italian side defeated Liverpool 2-0 at home, and held to a 1-1 draw at Anfield.
But Jurgen Klopp has many more reasons to be confident ahead of the trip to Southern Italy. Couple of his important players have returned from injurie and are available to face Napoli. Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota have made a comeback from the treatment table as they look to feature in the Champions League opener. Klopp will also have another midfielder, Arthur Melo for selection who was signed on loan on deadline day from Juventus.
While the Merseyside club will still be without the likes of Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, Ibrahima Konate, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calvin Ramsay, they at least got a breather with the returns of Thiago and Jota. Klopp will demand his team respond in the European competition as they bid to clinch their seventh Champions League trophy.