Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen has now opened up about his nightmare injury that he suffered back in November 2021.
The Napoli striker suffered a clash of heads with the Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar, and he was sidelined for a long period of time. The Nigerian international required major surgery to fix his face.
Apparently, the clash of heads left the player needing 18 screws in his jaw.
The striker has revealed that it was a near-death experience, and the recovery was a long and painful road.
The Nigerian international was ruled out for 2 months because of the injury, and he has revealed in an interview with Goal that he fractured many bones in his face, which the doctors had to remove and fix again.
The player also outlined how he went through multiple sleepless nights, and he struggled to eat because of the pain in his face as well.
However, Osimhen believes he has the mentality of a lion, which has helped him return from surgery sooner than expected with a protective face mask.
“That injury I had against Inter Milan was like a near-death injury. I am the only one that felt it, and I can only speak about how I felt because it was my face and body. But to be able to stand up without using the stretcher, and walk out of the pitch on my own, then I knew that it was something I could handle.
“For me, as I got to the hospital, I told my doctor that I would be out for two weeks maximum.” Osimhen added.
“When the scan came out, I fractured many bones, which they had to remove and fix inside again. I have like 18 screws under my jaw. I went through a lot. A lot of sleepless nights. I could not sleep, I could not eat with the pain. But at the end of the day, I am a lion, and I know the kind of mentality I have. In my mind, I had already scheduled my return following the surgery.”
The Nigerian is highly rated in Serie A and across European football, and he managed to score 18 goals across all competitions last season.
The player has been linked with a move to Arsenal in recent months, and it will be interesting to see if the Gunners decide to make a move for him this summer.
Apparently, the likes of Manchester United are keeping tabs on the Nigerian’s situation as well. Still, the player is valued at £86M, and it seems highly unlikely that either of the two Premier League clubs will shell out that kind of money for him.
