Kevin De Bruyne scored in Saturday’s match between Napoli and Inter Milan to keep Antonio Conte’s side top of Serie A, but his goal came at a price.
Kevin De Bruyne will be sidelined for five months after the former Manchester City star sustained an injury while taking a penalty. De Bruyne, who joined Napoli on a free transfer this summer, broke the deadlock in Saturday’s home game against Inter Milan, scoring from 12 yards.
However, his powerful attack that beat Inter goalkeeper Jan Sommer was the final act of the night after playing just 37 minutes. De Bruyne, 34, was unable to celebrate and immediately grabbed his right thigh and stumbled away from the penalty spot.
The midfielder was substituted before his team-mates secured an important 3-1 win, keeping Napoli in the lead as they continued to defend their Serie A title. But now the Italian champion’s worst fears regarding his injury have come true.
“Kevin De Bruyne underwent an instrumental examination at the Pineta Grande Hospital, where a severe lesion was found in the biceps femoris of his right thigh,” Napoli said in a statement on Monday. “The player has already started the rehabilitation process.”
Recovery from this injury usually takes five months, so the Belgian’s return is likely to be late February or early March. After winning the title in his first season in charge, Antonio Conte is currently facing an injury crisis.
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Napoli are already without several key players due to injury, including Stanislav Lobotka, Amir Rahmani, Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Alex Meret and Nikita Contini. Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojlund, on loan from Manchester United, is also recovering from an injury.
Conte has already revealed how much Napoli will miss De Bruyne during his layoff. “We know what Kevin can give us. As I always say, he needs support,” the former Chelsea and Tottenham manager explained after the match.
“We can go from absurd excesses to extremes. This is our second year, we have to play every three days, we have to bring in new players and we know it will be very complicated for us, but we need to find the best solution.”
Coach Conte, who is known for his calm demeanor, added, “If he performs well, the team also performs well. If he performs poorly, the team also performs poorly.”
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De Bruyne has enjoyed a solid start to his time at Napoli. The Belgian international, who was released by City when his contract expired in June, has signed a two-year contract with Napoli.
De Bruyne has played in 11 games, scoring four goals and providing two assists. The 34-year-old has scored five goals and provided one assist in four games for Belgium this season, boosting his chances of qualifying for next summer’s World Cup.
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