Napoli Stalwart Lobotka to Skip a Couple of Fixtures | OneFootball

Stanislav Lobotka will indeed have to miss some time, but the problem he suffered with Slovakia isn’t super serious. He has been diagnosed with a distraction of the left semitendinosus muscle. He’ll be sidelined versus Empoli and Lecce and will try to return for the clashes with Milan and Atalanta, Sky reports.

The maestro had gone two full seasons without missing a game. The Partenopei decided to be extra cautious last summer and brought in a deputy for each of their linchpins despite not playing in the cups. They’ll turn to Billy Gilmour in relief, whom they acquired for €14M from Brighton. He has made four short appearances off the bench so far and started against Palermo in Coppa Italia.

In addition to Lobotka, another Napoli player, Mathias Olivera, picked up a thigh problem with Uruguay. He’ll report back on Friday, but the early indications are optimistic, Gianluca Di Marzio informs. He has been the starter in recent matches as he’s a better fit for a four-man line than newcomer Leonardo Spinazzola, who instead was a regular when they were using a 3-4-2-1 formation. Juan Jesus and Pasquale Mazzocchi can also handle the position.

Our Take on Napoli and Lobotka

It’s a little early in the season for the wear and tear to be a factor and sound off the alarm about the schedule and density of games, but something isn’t right if highlanders like him and Nicolò Barella get hurt. Gilmour is solid, but the Slovak was in transcendent for. His absence will be felt, especially from a leadership viewpoint.