Napoli face a serious calendar problem due to Stanislav Lobotka's injury. The Slovakian defender suffered an injury to the tibiofibular syndesmosis and low-grade damage to the anterior tibial fibular ligament (LPAA) in his left ankle. The diagnosis confirms the severity of the contusion, which will likely take Lobotka off the field for several weeks. Although the club has not yet communicated a precise deadline, estimates indicate that the player could miss around ten games, leaving coach MassimilianoAllegri without his playmaker for much of November and December.
The first match that Lobotka will miss will be Sunday 16 October, when Napoli will face Juventus at the Allianz Stadium. Shortly afterwards, the club departed for the Champions League against Porto. Before the break, Napoli had already played against Lazio; upon return, the team will prepare for Torino and then for Manchester City in Europe. The calendar will continue without interruptions with Sassuolo, Lecce and another Champions League match against Club Brugge. In December, Napoli will have to deal with Milan and Fiorentina in the Italian Cup, before facing Atalanta on 20 December, a date which could represent Lobotka's first return if the ankle responds positively to rehabilitation.
In total, Lobotka risks being absent for six SerieA matches, three of the Champions League and one of the Italian Cup. The absence occurs in a particularly busy period, with the team having to manage a series of important matches in less than two months. If rehabilitation does not proceed as planned, the long-term goal would be the 2027 match against Parma, Napoli's first match that season. Allegri, therefore, finds himself having to plan a long cycle without one of his most reliable centre-backs, during the most intense phase of the calendar.
Napoli, in fact, does not intend to accelerate Lobotka's recovery to avoid the risk of relapses. The coach and medical staff will evaluate the ankle's response to subsequent checks, and only then will they decide whether the player can return to the field. In the meantime, the team will have to rely on other midfield resources to cover the void left by the injured player. Lobotka's absence will test the depth of the squad and Allegri's ability to maintain competitiveness in all competitions.