Napoli have been dealt a major blow after confirming that Kevin De Bruyne is facing several months out with a serious hamstring injury sustained during their 3-1 victory over Inter Milan on Saturday.
The Belgian midfielder, who only joined the Serie A champions in the summer after leaving Manchester City, had opened the scoring from the penalty spot before disaster struck. Just moments after converting from 12 yards, De Bruyne immediately clutched the back of his right thigh and collapsed in visible pain, forcing coach Antonio Conte into an early substitution.
Napoli later confirmed that the 34-year-old had suffered a “high-grade lesion to the femoral bicep in his right thigh”, a diagnosis that could rule him out for up to four months.
A club statement read:
“Following the injury that occurred during the match against Inter, Kevin De Bruyne underwent instrumental tests at the Pineta Grande Hospital which showed a high-grade lesion to the femoral bicep in his right thigh. The player has already begun the rehabilitation process.”
While Napoli stopped short of providing an official return date, early estimates suggest that De Bruyne is unlikely to feature again before early spring. The injury is said to be similar to the one sustained by his international teammate Romelu Lukaku in pre-season — an issue that has kept the striker sidelined since July.
It marks another frustrating setback for Kevin De Bruyne, whose later years at Manchester City were hampered by recurring muscle problems. His arrival in Naples was seen as a major coup for Conte’s men, and he had quickly become one of the team’s key creative outlets.
Despite losing their talisman midway through the first half, Napoli showed great resilience to secure a crucial win in the top-of-the-table clash. Goals from Scott McTominay and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa sealed a 3-1 victory, lifting the defending champions back to the summit of Serie A alongside Roma.
The result came after a turbulent week for Napoli, who had suffered back-to-back defeats — including a humbling 6-2 loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. That defeat prompted Conte to publicly question the club’s summer transfer policy, claiming that bringing in nine new players had upset the team’s balance.
Still, Saturday’s win may help ease tensions, though the absence of Kevin De Bruyne for the foreseeable future leaves a major void in Conte’s side as they prepare for a demanding winter schedule. Napoli return to action on Tuesday night away at Lecce, hoping to maintain their grip on the title race without their star midfielder.
