Napoli return from the international break with Massimiliano Allegri facing a familiar problem of this early season: not simply selecting a side, but resisting the temptation to redraw it while the treatment room remains busy. Ideas of a three-man defence had briefly entered the conversation, helped by Sam Beukema’s improving condition and the flexibility offered by Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Mathias Olivera. For now, however, injury has made continuity the more valuable choice.
Napoli seek stability before Frosinone
The setback suffered by Favasuli while away with Italy’s Under-21 side has removed one of Allegri’s more intriguing options. The young Calabrian wide player had brought energy and influence down the right flank, particularly as matches developed, and could have given the coach another route in a reshaped system. Medical news from the national-team camp suggests Napoli may be without him for around six weeks, leaving that project on hold.
It is a significant period for the club. Napoli will play nine times across Serie A and the Champions League during the autumn stretch, and the squad has already had to absorb a long list of absences. Olivera is the latest concern after returning from Uruguay with a minor muscle injury, while several players have spent the break on international duty.
Rather than pursuing an experimental back three, Allegri is expected to lean on the principles Napoli have already established: a four-man defence, full-backs encouraged to advance, two deeper midfielders able to shield and build play, an attacking midfielder with licence to guide the final phase, and wide forwards supporting Rasmus Hojlund. Whether the forward line is formally a front three or a close variation of it, the priority is to give the team recognisable reference points while injuries continue to shape the available personnel.
There are some encouraging signs ahead of the resumption against Frosinone. Alex Meret is improving, with his chances of being involved to become clearer when training resumes. Leonardo Spinazzola is available, while Marianucci may also put himself forward pending further checks from the medical staff. Spinazzola could provide an alternative on the left, but Napoli’s immediate task is less about wholesale changes than restoring a settled rhythm.
At the centre of that search for certainty stands Amir Rrahmani. The defender has completed every minute of Napoli’s opening five matches, accumulating 450 minutes from a possible 450, and his contract extension through to 2029 is close to being announced, with the agreement effectively settled.
Rrahmani has grown into Napoli’s quiet authority since arriving in 2020. After an uncertain first appearance at Udinese, he gradually claimed his place and became one of the side’s most dependable leaders. A switch between a back four and a back three would not alter his importance; in a squad needing calm amid another wave of injuries, he remains the player expected to organise the line behind him.
