CorSport – Napoli, McTominay proves a warrior in the injury crisis | OneFootball

CorSport – Napoli, McTominay is a Highlander in the Emergency

Scott McTominay like a Highlander in the midst of the emergency. The only true midfielder left for Antonio Conte, the only one who can't catch a break in a department ravaged by injuries. In Lisbon, he stayed on until the end, 97 minutes without a substitution, despite not being at his best and despite having barely stopped in recent weeks. He is the symbol of a team holding itself together, often gritting its teeth more than necessary. The numbers speak louder than feelings: 479 minutes in the last six matches, almost always a starter, except for the Coppa Italia against Cagliari, where he came on in the last half hour and even took one of the penalties. Always in, McT, always indispensable. Only Milinkovic-Savic – who is a goalkeeper by trade – has played more (540). McTominay has become the essential reference point in the heart of the field because the blanket isn't short: it's extremely short. Lobotka and Gilmour are out, Anguissa too, De Bruyne as well, Elmas is adapting as a playmaker. In the middle, the only true box-to-box midfielder, the only one built to go up and down without stopping, is the Scotsman.

And this is where an inevitable, almost cinematic thought arises. In Back to the Future, every time something got complicated, Doc Brown would exclaim his famous "Great Scott!" In the Italian version, it became "Grande Giove!" For Conte, the midfield situation resembles that scene a bit. Great Scott, indeed: because there's only one Scott – McTominay – and he has to suffice for everyone. And tomorrow, they play again. Udine, then the Supercoppa semifinal against Milan in Saudi Arabia, maybe – Napoli hopes – even the final. Then back to the league: Cremonese to close 2025 and Lazio to kick off 2026. All away from Maradona, where Napoli will only return on January 7 against Verona. At the Bluenergy Stadium, it will be another away game, another match where Conte will have to rely on McTominay's resilience. The idea of resting him isn't impractical: it's impossible. Yet in Lisbon, on the most complicated night of recent weeks, he didn't back down. He wasn't brilliant, didn't have the legs of his best days, made mistakes, but went beyond the fatigue. A "substantial" player, who chooses to stay standing when the team wavers. As best as he can, but he stays standing. He knows a rest would be needed, but he also knows it's not the time. He knows it, Conte knows it, his teammates know it. And in this phase, where every match counts and every detail can become an obstacle, he remains the most reliable certainty for a Napoli that cannot slow down. Tomorrow, in Udine, it will be his turn again. Still in, still without real alternatives, still a midfielder, balancer, raider, gap-filler. A Highlander, indeed. And until the emergency ends, Conte can only hope that Scott continues to withstand the impact. Great Scott, yes: all his character is needed.

Carlo Gioia

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