Napoli, De Bruyne’s thigh curse: Conte fears Lukaku repeat | OneFootball

Worry in the Napoli camp over Kevin De Bruyne. After scoring against Inter, the Belgian midfielder stopped, clutching his thigh: a gesture that immediately brought to mind the terrible precedent of Romelu Lukaku, who suffered a similar injury just a few months ago.

Napoli, De Bruyne, the “thigh curse” and Lukaku déjà-vu: Conte fears another long layoff

In Napoli’s victory over Inter, Kevin De Bruyne’s goal was followed by a scene that sent a chill through the stadium. Right after his winning shot, the Belgian felt a sharp pain in his thigh, instinctively bringing his hand to his left leg. His teammates initially approached to celebrate, but within seconds the excitement turned to concern: De Bruyne stood motionless, his gaze lost, almost paralyzed by the pain.

Napoli’s medical staff intervened quickly, helping him off the field. Images of the Belgian being supported as he left the pitch spread across the web, fueling fears of a serious muscle injury.

The frightening precedent: Lukaku déjà-vu

The scene brought back a recent and far from pleasant memory for Napoli and Belgian fans alike: Romelu Lukaku’s injury. The striker also had to stop due to a problem with his rectus femoris during a preseason friendly against Olympiacos. The gesture was identical: an explosive movement followed by sudden pain, hand on the thigh and a vacant stare. Tests later confirmed a high-grade tear that kept him off the pitch for several months.

Now there’s fear that history could repeat itself with De Bruyne. The Belgian returned to the bench in the second half with a conspicuous ice pack on his thigh, a far from encouraging sign.

KDB’s precedents: in 2023, the longest layoff of his career

The thigh problem is not new for De Bruyne. During the 2023-24 season, while at Manchester City, the midfielder was forced to miss 128 days, sitting out 30 official matches due to a similar muscle injury. It was an interminable period that deeply affected his season, and now risks repeating itself in a Napoli shirt.

Sources close to Napoli report a visibly worried Conte. The coach, who had just found tactical balance thanks to the former City player, fears losing his key man just as the team is hitting its stride.

Awaiting tests, but the feelings are not good

In the coming hours, De Bruyne will undergo instrumental tests to clarify the extent of the injury. For now, the club is keeping everything under wraps, but initial assessments suggest pessimism. “The office of faces,” as Corriere dello Sport ironically writes, “doesn’t bode well.”

Conte, who will already have to do without Neres and other starters on Tuesday, watches the situation unfold with concern. A long layoff for the Belgian would be a heavy blow for a Napoli side already dealing with a real injury emergency.

Analysis: Conte and Napoli fear the backlash

The possible absence of De Bruyne risks depriving Napoli of its technical and mental leader. The former City man had become the focal point of Conte’s play, able to bring quality, verticality, and intensity to the team’s maneuvers. Without him, the coach will have to redesign the attack, perhaps returning to a lighter front three, with more movement and high pressing.

But beyond the tactical aspect, the psychological factor weighs heavily: two serious, similar injuries in a few months and to the same muscle area could undermine the group’s confidence and consistency. Napoli is crossing its fingers, Conte awaits the results: the hope is that this won’t be another long ordeal.

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