THE availability of Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen at the AFCON, set to hold in January, is still in doubt after suffering a fractured eye socket on Sunday.
Various reports have suggested different return dates with some saying 15 days and others saying as much as 90 days.
Former Napoli Orthopedist gave a 15-day timeframe before the number 9 can return back to football action while a WhatsApp audio rumoured to be that of Gianpaolo Tartaro, the maxillofacial surgeon who operated on Victor Osimhen, stated 90 days.
In fact, the audio stated that Napoli chief, De Laurentis, made a specific request for Osimhen to be ruled out for ninety days.
The voice in the WhatsApp audio said: "De Laurentis has decided. Professor, let's do 90 days like this as hell we send him to the African Cup.
"So now we will say that he is out for 90 days. Surely he will be able to play the first match in January with the mask, it will not be easy".
Tartaro reacted to the audio saying it was fake.
Fanpage quoted the Doctor saying "I don't know how to say it's not me. In that audio some things are said extremely precise, others wrong. I'm a surgeon, I find it absurd. It's pure madness.
"In the operating room there was a great coming and going of people and at the end of the surgery I talked about some technical things. I am very sorry about what is happening.
"I repeat, it's not me. I'm not interested in saying this, I'd just lose out".
Whichever it is, it is obvious that Osimhen is in a race against time to be fit for AFCON in January and hopefully he will be ready to go.
