Injured Osimhen fit for Inter clash on Sunday as Alonso reveals Boniface's return date

Super Eagles and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen will be fit to start for Napoli in Sunday evening’s Serie A match against Inter Milan.

This is according to Italian broadcaster SportMediaset. The broadcaster reported that the 25-year-old Nigerian international completed a full training session on Saturday.

Inter and Napoli are in some ways in a similar situation heading into Sunday’s match.

Both teams suffered the bitter blow of elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Spanish opposition during the week.

Having each gone into the second leg of their round of sixteen tie with reason for hope, both lost their away ties.

Therefore, both the Nerazzurri and the Partenopei will want to bounce back on Sunday.

The Serie A clash at the San Siro will be the final fixture in the Italian top flight before the international break.

 Former Lille and Wolfsburg striker Osimhen will be available for the match.

The 25-year-old had been a doubt for the match. This was due to a minor muscular knock that he picked up in training.

Had the striker been unable to train normally on Saturday, then it would not have been at all likely that he would start against Inter.

Giovanni Simeone would therefore have been ready to deputize for the Nigerian, at least from the start.

Napoli currently sit 7th in the Serie A table, seven points below 4th-placed Bologna.

Osimhen has recently signed a contract extension until 2026 but has a €130m clause in his new deal with the Partenopei.

Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said on Friday that Nigeria striker Victor Boniface was "close to getting back on the pitch" and could return in March.

Boniface injured his adductor while preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria in January and has been out since.

Originally scheduled to return sometime in April, Alonso said the 23-year-old could be fit for Leverkusen's home clash with Hoffenheim on March 30.

"He's not ready yet, but next week we have an international break and we'll use the time to take a step forward with him.

"Maybe for Hoffenheim if everything goes well, but we'll see.

"We need to have a bit more patience but he's close to getting back on the pitch."

Moving from Union Saint-Gilloise in the summer, Boniface has had an excellent start to life in Leverkusen, scoring 16 goals and laying on eight assists in 23 games in all competitions.

Boniface was called up to the Nigeria squad for the first time this season but missed the Super Eagles' run to the final, where they lost to Ivory Coast.

Leverkusen are on track for a maiden German top-flight title, sitting 10 points clear of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga with nine games remaining.

Alonso's side on Thursday qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa League where they will face West Ham and have made it to the final four of the German Cup where they host second-division Fortuna Duesseldorf.