Napoli midfield crisis: Only Lobotka, McTominay left, Marianucci eyed | OneFootball

Conte is Short on Midfielders: Possible Internal Solution

The watchword is clear: emergency. Napoli has also lost Billy Gilmour, who has effectively already ended his 2025 football season. The Scottish midfielder can’t overcome his pubalgia, which flared up again after the injury he picked up against Como and—after a consultation in London—he is considering, together with the club, the possibility of undergoing surgery. This is a very real option to definitively resolve the problem and play without the constant worry of inflammation in the groin area. Gilmour is seriously considering it to turn the page and return as a protagonist in the second part of the season, the one that will take him to the World Cup with Scotland. The path was already traced this summer by Alessandro Buongiorno, who had surgery before the training camp in Dimaro-Folgarida: the defender—who then faced and overcame a muscle problem—is now playing regularly, returning to his usual performance standards.

The recovery time is not short. Gilmour will be out for about 45 days. Translation: he’ll be back in mid-January and will also miss the Italian Super Cup in Riyadh, scheduled from December 18 to 22. For Napoli, this is a huge absence. The numbers in midfield simply don’t add up. Conte won’t be able to count on Kevin De Bruyne (high-grade lesion of the right thigh’s femoral biceps, the Belgian has also had surgery), Frank Anguissa (same injury but to the left thigh), and Billy Gilmour, who has been out since November 1 when he left after just over half an hour during the match at the Maradona against Como. At the moment, the coach only has two natural midfielders available to face a packed schedule: Stan Lobotka and Scott McTominay, both ready to be fielded on Sunday at the Olimpico against Roma.

The alternatives are twofold: Elmas, who isn’t really a pure holding midfielder but more of a box-to-box player (he also plays as an attacking winger), and the young Vergara (who has offensive characteristics). That’s why Conte is also considering other solutions, perhaps adapting a defender to midfield if necessary: during the break, Luca Marianucci was tested as a playmaker in midfield during a friendly with the Primavera and could be an option until the transfer window reopens, when opportunities for loan deals might arise. Sporting director Giovanni Manna is thinking about a move in the Premier League, and Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United is more than just an idea.

Carlo Gioia

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.