Napoli – Between renewed smiles and a few grimaces of pain that urge caution, Napoli is counting its available players ahead of a fiery January.
Dr. Raffaele Canonico, the head of the medical staff, took stock of the Azzurri's medical situation in an interview with Radio Crc. The resulting picture is mixed: while Antonio Conte is rediscovering his attacking hero, he must also manage delicate situations regarding creativity and midfield.
The Return of Big Rom
The most anticipated news concerns Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian giant has overcome his physical problems and is technically ready. "Whoever sits on the bench can play, that's the prerequisite," Canonico clarified, referring to the recent Super Cup, where the striker's presence was also dictated by dressing room considerations.
"He's been working fully with the team in recent days. Now it's up to the coach to assess the situation, but Lukaku is medically fit." A key player who returns to the tactical game at a crucial moment.
The Neres case and prudence
The news regarding David Neres is less optimistic. The Brazilian winger is battling the after-effects of a sprained ankle that's proving more serious than expected. "His clinical progress has been positive, but with increased loads, the boy is still experiencing pain," explains the club doctor.
Hence the decision not to take him to Copenhagen and to slow down his rehabilitation. "The ideal thing now is not to push things too hard. We'll see what happens in Turin, while the Chelsea match remains a possibility, but it's difficult."
The midfield: Anguissa and the times of De Bruyne
The situation is also complex in midfield. Zambo Anguissa, who seemed ready for an early return, has suffered a setback. "He suffered a back injury towards the end of Tuesday's training session, a severe and unpredictable attack of lumbago," Canonico revealed. Work is underway to rejoin him by the weekend.
A longer wait, as expected, for Kevin De Bruyne (whose inclusion in the 2026 squad suggested by the text suggests a stellar transfer window, ed.). For the champion, fresh from surgery, the prognosis remains confirmed: "His full reintegration into the team is expected between the end of February and the beginning of March."
Good news for Elmas, who has overcome his flu symptoms and is back to training regularly. Gilmour, who underwent Sports Hernia surgery, is about three weeks away from returning: his latest check-up was positive.
Meret's ordeal and the calendar alarm
Finally, the goalkeeping chapter. Alex Meret, bluntly described as "unlucky" by Dr. Canonico, has overcome yet another obstacle. After suffering a stress fracture in his foot, the goalkeeper suffered a serious injury to his left arm after being benched against Inter. "For privacy reasons, I prefer not to go into details, but the specialist consultation ruled out a lengthy process. He should be available in Turin."
Canonico concludes with a bitter warning about the compressed schedule: "We don't even have three days of recovery between games. In effect, we only have one day to prepare for the match, while the players are still recovering."
Severe weather in the Salerno area, landslides and flooding: the Amalfi Coast closed, families evacuated.
SALERNO – Landslides, mudslides, and flooding have been affecting the Salerno area in recent hours, where severe weather has left a trail of damage and disruption to traffic. The most critical situation is along the coast and in the hilly areas, with work underway and traffic slowed in several strategic locations.
In Camerota, Cilento, the force of the sea has hurled rocks, sand, and debris onto the Mingardo regional road 562. Safety operations are still underway, and municipal police are patrolling the area. The road remains passable, but the municipality urges extreme caution. In the same area, a landslide caused by heavy rains affected the road between Camerota and Lentiscosa: prompt intervention allowed traffic to be restored within a few hours.
Damaged heart transplanted into little Tommaso; the Ministry sends inspectors to Bolzano and Naples.
ROME – The Ministry of Health has ordered the immediate dispatch of inspectors to both Bolzano and Naples following the incident involving the heart intended for little Tommaso's transplant. The decision, signed as soon as the news reached Rome, aims to shed full light on the entire operational chain, from organ removal to transfer.
In particular, what happened to theBolzano hospital, where the heart was removed before being assigned for transplant to the child admitted to theMonaldi Hospital of Naples. The inspectors will have to reconstruct the timing, methods, and responsibilities, verifying whether there were any irregularities or errors in the established procedures.
Metro Line 2, extra services after the Naples-Rome route
NAPLES – Public transport strengthened for the challenge between SSC Napoli e AS Roma, scheduled for Sunday evening at the Maradona Stadium. After the final whistle, Metro Line 2 will extend its service with seven additional runs to facilitate the outflow of fans from the Fuorigrotta area.
The initiative, announced by Trenitalia – Regional, born from the collaboration with Campania region e City of Naples and is part of the mobility management plan for major city sporting events. A total of 3.400 additional seats will be made available compared to the regular service.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It's truly a difficult period for Napoli, especially with the injuries that continue to plague the team. Lukaku seems to have recovered, but Neres and Anguissa are having problems, and it's unclear when they'll return to the field.