Moon Sports > Football > Lukaku is seriously injured. Can Conte and Naples be without him?

Lukaku is seriously injured. Can Conte and Naples be without him?

Football

On August 18, Naples officially issued an injury announcement. Due to a serious injury to the rectus femoris on the left thigh, striker Lukaku must have a long-term quit and cannot play for at least 3 months. Moreover, Lukaku's recovery time may even be delayed until 2026, because his treatment plan has not been completely determined for the time being, and there is a possibility of surgery and is still waiting for further evaluation from medical experts.

In the previous warm-up match where Napoli defeated Greece Olympiacos 2:1, Lukaku made the start, but after only 33 minutes of playing, he was replaced due to injury.

Last season, Lukaku scored 14 goals and 11 assists for Napoli in 38 games, including 14 goals and 10 assists in 36 games in Serie A, and was one of the biggest contributors to Napoli's victory over Inter Milan to win the Serie A championship. His ability to break through with the ball, make balls from behind and score in the frontcourt are all indispensable offensive methods for Napoli.

Whether it was winning the Serie A championship in Inter Milan in 2020-2021 or winning the championship in Naples last season, Lukaku played an important role in Conte's technical and tactical system. Overall, Conte's tactical ideas still originated from the Serie A and Italian national teams 10 years ago, that is, using power forwards with outstanding physical fitness to withstand the opponent's central defenders and cover their teammates to press forward.

No Lucaku, Napoli's forward core will be Luca in the league opening match of Reggio Emilia away to Sassuolo this Saturday. Luca is not a striker who can provide impact with a tall figure, which is a huge difference between Luca and Lukaku. Relatively speaking, it is much less difficult for the opponent's central defender to guard him than Lukaku.

Naples won the league championship last season without participating in the European game. Lukaku and many other teammates have maintained good health, but now Napoli needs to participate in the Champions League, with a full 8 group matches. Without Lukaku, it is also doubtful whether other forwards can withstand the rhythm of continuous games.

For Conte, Lukaku's absence offers another test. Conte has led the team to win the championship in Serie A twice in the last two times, and has relied heavily on Lukaku in both technical and tactical aspects. With Lukaku missing, De Bruyne's creativity will become more critical. Can Conte provide a different look in the Serie A stadium and launch a team that is less dependent on power forwards and more inspirational? If it cannot be done, where are the upper and lower limits of the Conte upper limit of the "Lukaku version"? Comprehensive news from this newspaper

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