Napoli have adjusted their Champions League squad for the trip to Villarreal, with Giovane brought into Massimiliano Allegri’s 19-man group as the club navigate an early injury setback in the campaign.
The Brazilian forward, previously with Hellas Verona, replaces Costantino Favasuli for Tuesday’s second matchday fixture at the Estadio de la Ceramica. It is a change permitted under UEFA rules when a player on the registered list suffers an injury.
Quick facts
- Villarreal v Napoli will be played on Tuesday, 13 October.
- Giovane enters Napoli’s UEFA squad in place of Costantino Favasuli.
- Favasuli sustained a second-degree tear to the rectus femoris in his right thigh while playing for Italy Under-21 against Armenia on 1 October.
- Napoli are expected to restore the former Catanzaro player to the list once his recovery is complete.
- The potential return is targeted before Napoli’s 24 November visit to Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City.
Favasuli’s absence follows the injury suffered on international duty, forcing Napoli to use the flexibility available in UEFA’s competition regulations. Giovane now has the opportunity to enter Allegri’s European plans at a demanding point in the league-phase schedule.
The squad decision adds another thread to Napoli’s season: managing the balance between domestic commitments and a Champions League programme that will soon take them to Manchester. Allegri has selected experience and depth for Spain, with Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay, Stanislav Lobotka and Giovanni Di Lorenzo included.
Napoli’s travelling group also features Rasmus Hojlund, Lorenzo Lucca, David Neres, Matteo Politano and Noa Lang among the attacking options, while Alex Meret and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic are the goalkeepers named.
The full 19-player squad is: Badiashile, Beukema, Contini, De Bruyne, Di Lorenzo, Gilmour, Giovane, Hojlund, Lang, Lobotka, Lucca, Rafa Marin, McTominay, Meret, Milinkovic-Savic, Neres, Politano, Rrahmani and Spinazzola.
For now, Giovane’s inclusion is the practical answer to Favasuli’s injury. Napoli’s next decision will come when the midfielder completes his rehabilitation and the club consider restoring him ahead of the Manchester City away match on 24 November.
