Spalletti reveals Osimhen may play final 20 minutes of Saturday against Verona

Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti confirmed that Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen would join Napoli for their upcoming clash against Hellas Verona and looked back on the Champions League quarter-final loss to Milan.

The Partenopei had looked unstoppable this season, flying to the Champions League knock-out stages and the top spot in the Serie A table, but have started to look a little shakier in recent weeks, losing to Milan and Lazio in the last few weeks.

Unfortunately for Spalletti and Napoli, they again fell to Milan in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, having to do without a recovering Osimhen.

Speaking in a press conference, Spalletti first discussed the condition of his star striker.

“His condition is good. I had a meeting with the doctors and tomorrow he will be called up against Verona. Obviously, the objective is to arrive at our best for Tuesday’s match, but tomorrow he’ll be with us on the bench.”

He confirmed that some rotations would be match for the match against Hellas Verona.

“Whoever takes to the pitch tomorrow will have to do so knowing that they are playing one of the most important matches in this season.

“Some changes will be made, I don’t know what that means reasoned or unreasoned. Not ten players, Kim is going to play as a starter.

“Then some have to recover because the physical and mental stress of two days ago is too close.

“Others, however, will stay. You have alert colleagues, and some names will come up as we go along.”

The Napoli coach looked back at his team’s mentality in their Champions League loss to Milan.

“We made our debut in the quarter-finals and everyone talked about team nervousness. I would speak of maturity inside what happened in the match, just the opposite.

“There was an important growth because a team cannot manage to be focused and at the same time dangerous as ten against a team used to the level of such important matches for the history they have.

“We had many correct attitudes, I found there a search to put right those things that were taken away from us without us having determined anything in the match. Even in personality I see something improved in this match.”

Spalletti was asked how it would be possible for Napoli to avoid thinking about the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.

“In my opinion tomorrow’s game is doubly important because if you win it, you are three away from the Scudetto. I find no reason to think about Tuesday’s game.

“In our eyes and in our heads, we have to have the picture of the beautiful things in front of us, we don’t have to carry around any reasoning. We have beautiful things ahead of us, the fundamental one is with Verona in order to get there in the best possible way before Tuesday’s game.

“Taking a step back, since I arrived in Napoli, the match with Verona symbolised one of the lowest moments in Napoli’s history.

“Now it can be the highest point in the history of this club. That’s also why it becomes interesting: we started from the lowest point and we’re going to play it at the highest point.”

He touched on the qualities of tomorrow’s opponents Hellas Verona.

“There will be the meanest of pitfalls. Verona are a well-coached team, you can recognise the characteristics of their coach’s will. They come at you physically and from a battle aspect they test you for 95 minutes, they have motivation in spades like a team above their position in the table.

“They also did well in the previous game, winning with merit. In the videos we’ve seen, Verona have put many opponents to the test, like in the away match against Juventus.”

The Italian coach looked back at the final moments of Napoli’s Champions League defeat to Milan.

“The final minutes, in that bedlam of the stadium, in the difficulties of the result and numerical inferiority, the quality of our team came out.

“A quality that makes us arrive at the next match with great difficulties because not having Anguissa and Kim is an important loss, but I know my team well and I’m sure they will offer a level performance.

“So, having made all due considerations, all due calculations, we are confident that we can play our chances, despite what happened.”

Spalletti touched on the condition of Giacomo Raspadori.

“Raspadori came back from a long injury and needed a few days of training, so it is understandable that he is not at the top.

“We thank him for making himself available. 90 minutes is too long. Should Osimhen be needed for 20 minutes, we will consider sending him out.”

Finally, Spalletti was asked if Napoli’s loss to Milan was due to fatigue.

“I don’t know if the defeat against Milan was dictated by tiredness. There can be some tired every now and then, but then in the choices we’ve made we’ve always done well because wins and performances have come.

“We’ll have to be a bit careful now and, as I said before, we’ll change something. Kvaratskhelia may start from the bench, and it may be possible to use him for reduced minutes during the match.

“These are evaluations that will be made. It seemed like you wanted to tell me to rest him a bit and I wanted to reassure you!”