- Lukaku suffers injury in friendly
- Napoli waiting to assess the situation
- Antonio Conte’s side might be forced to buy new striker
With Lukaku suffering an injury, Napoli might face problems in their attacking third, and according to Gianluca Di Marzio, Gli Azzuri might be compelled to add a new striker to Conte’s contingent as the Serie A season nears. Napoli have already sold players like Giovanni Simeone and Giacomo Raspadori, who could have filled Lukaku’s void. The club is currently assessing Lukaku’s injury and, after the same, will take their next step in the transfer market.
Lukaku suffered a muscle strain in his left thigh during the pre-season friendly against Greek side Olympiacos last week. The medical team is set to receive an update on the extent of his injury soon, but the feeling inside the camp is that it is not going to be a minor niggle. After winning the Serie A last term, Conte and his camp are not expected to head into a fresh season without a prolific goal-getter up front.
Lukaku, who had worked with Conte at Inter, joined Napoli last season. Throughout the 2024-25 season, he recorded 25 goal contributions, notably 14 goals and 11 assists, across 38 appearances across all competitions. He is also Belgium‘s all-time top scorer with 89 international goals in 124 matches.
Napoli have no other option but to wait for Lukaku’s medical reports. In case the Belgian suffers a long-term injury, they’ll explore an alternative to the 32-year-old. And for that, they will have 13 days, as the transfer window closes on August 31.
