Osimhen recalls collision with Inter’s Milan Skriniar: “I Heard My Face Explode”

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen suffered a skull fracture following a clash of heads with Inter defender Milan Skriniar when the two last faced in November, and it was an intense experience for him.

Speaking to Rome-based newspaper La Repubblica ahead of the Nerazzurri’s and the Partenopei’s second Serie A clash of the season over the weekend, the Nigerian related the sudden and painful feeling he got when the injury took place.

There was no malice when Skriniar and Osimhen went to head the ball at the same time, but the timing of their respective headers meant that the striker came off much worse from the challenge.

Skriniar was also in pain following the challenge, but Osimhen suffered a fracture to his cheek and orbital bones that meant that he was out of action for several weeks, although he is all recovered and ready for Saturday’s match.

He can still recall the experience, stating that “I immediately felt like my face had exploded. As soon as I touched my left cheek I had no feeling left. I also had trouble sleeping, if I turned to that side, it hurt.”

“But I regained my strength,” he went on, “I’m not the type to restrain my passion, I’ve never let this kind of thing hold me back and on the contrary I try to get right back on my feet without feeling sorry for myself.”

Osimhen has also revealed that Tottenham defender Cristian Romero is one of the toughest opponents he has faced during his career.

The Nigerian forward has netted six times in the Serie A so far this season, as well as 4 times in his 3 Europa League appearances to date, and is reportedly a target for north London rivals Arsenal in the summer.

But, speaking to Italian newspaper Repubblica, the Super Eagle revealed that it was Tottenham’s Cristian Romero that he struggled against most, during the Argentine’s time at Atalanta. This was mostly on account for the sheer speed of the 23-year-old, who made the move to Tottenham in the summer.

Asked to name his toughest opponent, Osihmen said:

‘[Cristian] Romero, who is now at Tottenham. He was always faster than me every time we faced each other. The other one is Kalidou Koulibaly, he never let me score in training. When Nigeria were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations, I supported Senegal.’