Napoli: Lukaku in stands v Como, Conte hopes for November return | OneFootball

Napoli finally finds a smile again. Romelu Lukaku is ready to return to Napoli after weeks of absence due to a rectus femoris injury, which kept him away from the fields and his teammates.

Napoli, first signal from Lukaku: he will be in the stands against Como. Conte counts on his return by the end of November

The Belgian striker, who chose to undergo conservative rehabilitation in his homeland, will watch from the stands at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium on Saturday during the match between Napoli and Como.

This is an important signal for Antonio Conte, who will regain one of the leaders of his locker room at a particularly delicate moment for the team, which is coming off two heavy defeats against Torino and PSV and a crisis-averting victory against Inter.

A symbolic return: the presence of "Big Rom" as a boost for the group

While Kevin De Bruyne is already in Belgium for thigh surgery, Lukaku will make the reverse journey to rejoin the team. Those who know him well say that "he is working like crazy to return as soon as possible."

During the recovery period, Lukaku also had to face a huge personal pain, the loss of his father Roger, which deeply affected him.

Despite everything, Romelu never lost contact with Conte and Napoli's medical staff, receiving daily updates on the team's progress and even participating in the training camp in Eindhoven, where he watched the match against PSV live.

Sources close to the player say that it was precisely that game, marked by a tough defeat, that was "the trigger that pushed him to want to return immediately to contribute, even just with his presence."

The recovery schedule: the goal is the end of November

The return to the field, however, is not imminent. The muscle injury to the rectus femoris requires caution and respect for the biological healing times.

According to the latest medical evaluations, Lukaku could be available to Conte by the end of November, barring unforeseen events.

Currently, the player is following a personalized training program based on strength and stabilization exercises, with daily physiotherapy sessions.

The first phase, dedicated to absolute rest, has been completed; now the goal is to progressively recover muscle tone and endurance before gradually returning to training with the group.

Conte and the weight of Lukaku in Napoli's game system

Antonio Conte knows how crucial Lukaku's presence is for his technical project.

Last season, the Belgian was an irreplaceable pillar of the Azzurri attack, contributing with 14 goals and 6 assists in Serie A, along with an average expected goals of 0.45 per game.

The Lecce coach, aware that the striker no longer has the same explosiveness as in his Inter years, has built a tactical system based on positional intelligence and the ability to advance the team, exploiting Romelu's hold-up play and vision.

His absence has put Napoli in difficulty: Lorenzo Lucca, called to replace him, has not been able to guarantee the same physical and technical impact.

Hence the decision, in the summer, to invest in Rasmus Hojlund from Manchester United for 50 million euros, an operation designed to cover the role in an emergency but which, due to characteristics, does not replicate the Belgian's tactical work.

Napoli without Lukaku: an attack in search of balance

In recent weeks, Conte has experimented with various solutions, even deploying David Neres as a false nine in the 3-1 victory against Inter.

An effective adaptation in terms of mobility and pressing, but which cannot completely replace the physicality and central presence guaranteed by Lukaku.

With Hojlund now recovered but still not at his best and De Bruyne out until 2026, the return of number 9 will be crucial to restore depth and offensive weight to Napoli, who are called to confirm and relaunch themselves in the league and in Europe.

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