Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has suffered multiple displaced fractures of the cheek and orbital bone, and could be out for over a month.
The 22-year-old started Sunday's 3-2 Serie A loss against Inter, but was taken off following a nasty clash of heads with Milan Skriniar on 52 minutes that left him with a black eye. Napoli, via their official social media account on Twitter, confirmed the forward’s diagnosis.
Reports indicate the Nigeria international will require surgery to repair damage to left eye and the surrounding region. After coming off the pitch, he was immediately taken to San Raffaele hospital for tests, which found multiple breaks had taken place. For displaced fractures surgery is required, as the bones have moved out of alignment. This is usually accompanied by double vision and difficulty moving the eye, as well as swelling and numbness around the site of the trauma.
It is an injury that comes as a blow to Napoli's title aspirations. Il Partenopei were dealt their first defeat of the season away at the home of the reigning champions. The 3-2 reverse not only saw them miss the chance to go three points clear of second-place AC Milan, but meant third-place Inter cut the gap to the top down to four points.
Osimhen, who was forced off with the scores at 2-1 to the hosts, is Napoli's leading scorer both domestically (with five goals) and in Europe (with four in the Europa League). He was replaced by Andrea Petagna, and while Luciano Spalletti can also call on the club's all-time leading goalscorer in Dries Mertens, it will be a huge ask to sustain an assault on Serie A without the services of their chief marksman.
The injury also potentially casts doubt over Osimhen's involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in January. With orbital floor strength typically restored about three and half weeks post-surgery, it will be a race against time to get the wiry forward fit for Nigeria's AFCON campaign, which begins on January 11 with a confrontation against seven-time African champions Egypt.
If Osimhen does recover in time for the AFCON, his unavailability for Napoli could stretch to three months, especially if the Super Eagles make a deep run in Cameroon.