Napoli return from the international break with a growing concern on the left flank, where Max Allegri is set to begin a demanding run of fixtures without both Mati Olivera and Favasuli.
Olivera has left Uruguay’s training camp after tests confirmed a strain to the right external obturator muscle. The defender had reported discomfort around his groin while preparing for Uruguay’s friendly in India, and will now begin rehabilitation at Castel Volturno. His expected absence is at least two weeks, ruling him out of the opening matches of Napoli’s crowded schedule, starting with Frosinone.
The timing leaves Allegri with a thin group of options before nine matches in less than a month, ahead of the next international pause. Leonardo Spinazzola is presently the only natural left-sided senior option available, but he too is managing his return from a hamstring problem that kept him out of the match at the Franchi before the break.
Spinazzola completed part of the latest group session before continuing with individual work on the pitch. He is expected to be available against Frosinone, although Napoli cannot realistically ask him to cover every game in the coming sequence.
Favasuli setback changes Allegri’s plans
Olivera’s injury follows the loss of Favasuli while he was with Italy Under-21s. The former Catanzaro player sustained a second-degree injury to the rectus femoris in his right thigh and is expected to be sidelined for at least a month, missing the whole stretch before the next break. His lay-off is likely to amount to nine fixtures.
The setback came just as Favasuli was beginning to make a case for more responsibility. He had made three appearances in Napoli colours, supplied the assist for Stanislav Lobotka against Bologna and came close to scoring against Fiorentina. Allegri had been considering giving him a larger role, including on the left, a position he has occupied several times in his young career.
Instead, the coach must revise his plans at a point when injuries have already affected the rhythm of Napoli’s opening months.
Ten players affected since the summer
Olivera and Favasuli are the latest names in an injury list that has reached 10 players since the start of the season. Alessandro Buongiorno and Marianucci were unavailable from the summer, while Frank Anguissa, Alex Meret, Alisson, Spinazzola, Giovane and Scott McTominay have also had spells out.
Giovane underwent surgery for a groin hernia, while McTominay had an ablation procedure to address a mild benign arrhythmia. Taken together, Napoli’s absences have already accounted for 27 missed matches, a figure certain to rise during the upcoming cycle.
The situation recalls the difficulties of last season, when repeated absences forced Antonio Conte to alter both selections and approaches from one match to the next. Allegri now faces a similar test of depth, particularly in the wide areas.
Few straightforward alternatives on the left
Giovanni Di Lorenzo can operate on the left if required, but moving him would leave Napoli short on the opposite side, where he is the only established specialist. That makes Spinazzola’s fitness especially important, even if his workload will have to be managed.
Should Allegri use a three-man defence, Matteo Politano or Vergara could be considered in a wing-back role, while an attacking wide player might also be adapted on the left. In a back four, an emergency solution could involve shifting a central defender across: left-footed Badiashile is among the possibilities.
For now, however, Napoli’s priority is to recover Spinazzola carefully while Olivera starts his treatment. With Frosinone approaching and a packed month to negotiate, Allegri’s squad management will again become a central part of Napoli’s season.
