Massimiliano Allegri's Napoli finds itself in an unprecedented injury situation: twelve players have been excluded from the group for physical reasons, a number that highlights the team's difficulties in these first two months of the championship. The absentee list is constantly evolving, with new injuries added as the season progresses.
The latest case of unavailability was that of Benoît Badiashile, who had to raise the white flag during the match against Roma due to a muscle problem. The injury appears to involve the same muscle that afflicted the defender during his spells at Monaco and Chelsea. With Badiashile out, the number of unavailable players jumps to five for the next round, including Alisson Santos, David Neres, Costantino Favasuli and Alessandro Buongiorno. All five will be assessed after the midweek round, with the aim of returning to action by the first week of November, before the international break.
On the contrary, some players have already overcome their physical problems. Matías Olivera and André Zambo‑Anguissa have recovered from muscle injuries, Antonio Vergara has resolved a calf problem, Leonardo Spinazzola has overcome a hamstring problem, Alex Meret has returned from a thigh injury, Giovane Santos has recovered from a hernia and Scott McTominay is back after off-field problems. At the start of the season, Luca Mariannucci suffered a cruciate injury, but is now back available.
In total, Napoli have twelve players who have suffered or are still dealing with injury, a figure which highlights the fragility of the squad. Coach Allegri will have to manage this situation carefully, trying to maintain the team's competitiveness despite the numerous absences. With the international break coming up, the hope is that many of these players will be able to return to action before the league resumes, allowing the club to face the next challenges with a more complete squad.