Lobotka out, Napoli consider Vergara to partner McTominay | OneFootball

The injury suffered by Stanislav Lobotka has created an immediate and serious emergency at the heart of Napoli’s midfield, forcing coach Antonio Conte to rethink his plans for the upcoming crucial matches. The urgent need is to find a reliable partner for Scott McTominay, while maintaining the preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, which fortunately only requires two central midfielders.

Lobotka Emergency, Conte Weighs His Options: Elmas as Playmaker and Vergara as First Alternative

As analyzed by Tuttomercatoweb.com, all the options on the table must be considered emergency solutions. The most likely scenario at the moment is moving Eljif Elmas into midfield alongside McTominay. Although the Macedonian is not a natural central midfielder in a two-man midfield, his versatility and energy make him the most probable choice to cope with yet another setback. The second option is represented by the young Antonio Vergara. Fresh from an impressive first start—earning top marks from the press and highlighted by a perfect assist for Lucca’s goal in the Coppa Italia—the 2003-born midfielder is now a concrete resource to be seriously considered, especially ahead of the big match against Juventus. Finally, there is a third, bolder possibility, likely to be considered during the match or in cases of extreme necessity: using Luca Marianucci in a more advanced position. The 2005-born central defender, who has already shown flashes as a defensive midfielder at times in his career and has been tested in that role during recent breaks, could be a wild card at a time when the squad is stretched thin.

Andrea Alati

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