Napoli’s plan for Lukaku: set for Super Cup squad, but… | OneFootball

The Belgian will fly to Riyadh but is still far from ideal form: against Milan, only the bench to avoid risks

Napoli, the plan for Lukaku: he will be called up for the Super Cup, but…

The return of Romelu Lukaku remains one of the most anticipated events at Napoli. The striker has not played since mid-August, when a left thigh injury forced him into a prolonged break. According to Il Mattino, the Belgian is expected to rejoin group training today, but his condition is still far from the standards required by Antonio Conte.

The physical paradox: clinically healed, but not ready

The situation is unusual: the muscle injury has been clinically resolved for over a month, yet Lukaku’s body is struggling to respond as it should. After four months of individual work, “Big Rom” has appeared at Castel Volturno still behind in terms of fitness: he runs, he shoots, but his imposing physical structure needs more time to withstand match pace. The medical staff, led by Dr. Canonico, is maintaining a very cautious approach. Rushing his return would mean exposing him to a very high risk: a relapse at this point in the season could compromise the entire sporting year.

Conte’s road map: no Udinese, bench for the Super Cup

Antonio Conte has set out a precise program for managing the striker:

Udinese: definite exclusion. Lukaku will continue with personalized training.

Italian Super Cup: the Belgian will be part of the Napoli squad heading to Riyadh.

Napoli-Milan (semifinal): barring surprises, he will start from the bench. Taking the field seems very unlikely, except perhaps for a few symbolic minutes at the end.

A leader to protect

The relationship between Conte and Lukaku is strong and well-established, but even this cannot override medical assessments. Napoli’s priority is to protect a top-level technical and financial investment. It’s better to wait a little longer, therefore, rather than force a return that could backfire. The mission is clear: to get Lukaku back to full fitness, with no more risks, for the second half of the season.

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