Antonio Conte jumps to defence of Rasmus Hojlund amid goal drought | OneFootball

Napoli boss Antonio Conte has launched a passionate defence of Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund as his goal drought persists.

Goal drought

Hojlund enjoyed a superb start to life at Napoli after joining the club last summer from United on a season-long loan. United sold him after he struggled to make an impact following his £72m move from Atalanta.

The Dane has scored 10 goals and provided an additional five assists in 31 Serie A appearances.

However, he has struggled to find the back of the net over the past few weeks. Monday’s 3-2 loss to Bologna marked the sixth consecutive game in which Hojlund has failed to get on the scoresheet.

He registered an assist for Alisson Santos as the Partenopei attempted to mount a comeback, but concerns over his goalscoring form are still there.  But Conte has insisted that he is not worried about Hojlund, even as the season nears its end.

Hojlund defence

Conte told DAZN, “Let’s not forget that he’s the only striker we have in the squad; he’s always playing.”

“This season, we should have had the opportunity to rest him and bring him on during the game. He has so much energy.”

“There are times when you have to attack the depth and others when you have to protect the ball.”

The Italian coach added, “He has excellent qualities, he’s only 23 and has significant room for improvement. We can’t say anything about him at all.”

The result left Napoli in second place in the Serie A table, three points above AC Milan in the final guaranteed Champions League spot.

Sunday’s meeting with bottom-of-the-table Pisa Sporting Club is a must-win if Conte and his players are to secure their spot in the elite continental competition. Napoli’s obligation to sign Hojlund permanently is dependent on their qualification for the Champions League.

However, Napoli have made it clear they want to keep Hojlund, irrespective of whether or not they’re in the Champions League.

Featured image Marco M. Mantovani via Getty Images

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