Play halted at Maradona: defender forced off, early injury update | OneFootball

Bittersweet night for Napoli, who defeated Pisa at the end of a thrilling match full of controversial incidents, but now have to deal with the injury of Alessandro Buongiorno. In the 81st minute, with the Azzurri ahead and seemingly in control of the match, the defender suddenly collapsed to the ground, clutching his left thigh. His expression left no doubt: continuing was impossible. After a few seconds of consultation, the decision was made: substitution inevitable. Juan Jesus came on, replacing his teammate to the applause of the crowd, who were well aware of Buongiorno’s importance in the defensive lineup.

Buongiorno forced to come off: Napoli fears a muscle injury

The first information was released by DAZN: it appears to be a muscle strain in the left thigh. A diagnosis that leaves room for hope, but will still require more thorough tests in the coming hours, when the player will undergo the usual instrumental examinations. Only then will it be clear whether it is simply fatigue or a longer-term issue. For Napoli, the possible absence of Buongiorno would be a significant problem, especially with the big match against Milan coming up.

Andrea Alati

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