Napoli could be without £118m Man Utd target to face Liverpool in UCL clash

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Napoli could be without star attacker Victor Osimhen to face Liverpool after the striker picked up a minor injury over the weekend, with the Nigerian international on Manchester United’s radar throughout the summer.

According to CalcioMercato, Osimhen is at risk of missing out this week’s clash against Liverpool after picking up a small injury in Napoli’s 2-1 win against Lazio, with Mexican international Hirving Lozano now also a doubt for Luciano Spalletti’s high-flying side.

Napoli have been impressive in Serie A this season and will this week once again face off against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, with the Italian giants proving to be quite the opponents for the Premier League side, with the Reds failing to beat the Partenopei in their last encounters in the 2019/20 group stage.

Whilst a lot has happened since then, Napoli could be Liverpool’s biggest threat for top spot in Group A, yet Osimhen being out through injury could be a major boost for Klopp, who travel to Naples on Wednesday in the first fixture of their Champions League campaign.

Indeed, the 23-year-old attacker was subject to a lot of interest over the summer from Premier League clubs, with Erik Ten Hag’s United reportedly preparing a club-record £118m offer for the Napoli star that would have included Cristiano Ronaldo heading in the other direction.

However, as we know, United made no such transfer, with the Red Devils instead signing Antony from Ajax, another Champions League rival for Liverpool this season, and with Osimhen potentially being out on the sideline, the Merseyside giants have a great chance of getting off to a winning start in Europe.

Osimhen injury update is massive for Liverpool’s Napoli chances

Liverpool’s season has already been quite the dramatic one with historic 9-0 wins and dropped points against unlikely rivals, yet a big result in Europe could bring some normality to the Anfield side this campaign, and Osimhen being out for Napoli could help the Reds achieve just that.

The Nigerian is one of the best attackers in Europe and is a key player for the Serie A giants, and if Osimhen is out through injury, Liverpool could already be halfway there to a big result in Naples against a side that Klopp has historically struggled against.