Napoli return to Castel Volturno on Tuesday afternoon with the Fiorentina draw still fresh, but the next chapter of their league campaign will be shaped as much by the international break as by the result in Florence.
Ten players are away with their national teams, while the club must also assess André-Frank Zambo Anguissa after he went down late in the match against Fiorentina. His condition is being monitored as Napoli begin a three-week interruption before league action resumes.
Quick facts
- Napoli restart training at Castel Volturno on Tuesday afternoon.
- The next Serie A fixture is scheduled for 10 October, when Frosinone visit the Maradona.
- Two friendly matches are planned during the break, including one against Avellino.
- Meret, Scott McTominay, Luca Marianucci and Leonardo Spinazzola are expected back after the pause.
- Alessandro Buongiorno will not return until 2027 following knee surgery.
The club intend to arrange two warm-up matches during the stoppage, with Avellino among the opponents, in order to keep the squad close to match rhythm before the sixth round of the championship. The pause should also help players such as Badiashile, Beukema and Neres improve their physical condition.
There is encouraging news around several absentees. Goalkeeper Alex Meret is recovering from a low-grade injury to the left thigh adductor, while Marianucci is nearing his return after suffering a high-grade medial collateral ligament injury in his left knee during the summer.
McTominay is also due to resume work in the coming days. The midfielder has completed the prescribed two-week rest period following an ablation procedure for a mild benign arrhythmia.
Spinazzola should be available after the break as well. He missed the Fiorentina game after a minor strain in the biceps femoris of his right thigh.
The timetable remains less certain for Giovane and Alisson, although neither is thought to be far from a return. Giovane has undergone surgery for an inguinal hernia, while Alisson is dealing with a moderate left hamstring injury.
Buongiorno’s absence is a longer-term issue for Napoli. The defender underwent an operation on the root of the medial meniscus in his right knee and is not expected back until 2027, leaving the club to manage a stretched group as the season resumes in October.
