Victor Osimhen suffered multiple face fractures following a thudding clash of heads during Napoli’s defeat at Inter Milan, the Serie A leaders said on Sunday.
In a statement, Napoli said that tests revealed “multiple displaced fractures of the left eye socket and cheekbone”.
Nigeria forward Osimhen left the San Siro field 10 minutes after half-time during Sunday’s thrilling showdown between Italian title contenders, won 3-2 by Inter.
The 22-year-old managed to walk off the pitch, clearly dazed and with a swollen face, after being flattened in an aerial challenge with Milan Skriniar.
Napoli did not say for how long they expected Osimhen, who has scored five Serie A goals this season and a further four in the Europa League, is expected to be out of action.
However,Italian media report he could be sidelined for a month. That would be a major blow for Napoli’s title challenge as, assuming he recovers in time, he will be also representing Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations, which gets underway in early January