Allegri closes the book on De Bruyne incident before Venezia
The head coach says the Villarreal flashpoint with the Belgian midfielder is over, and leaves the door open to pairing Lucca with Højlund up front.
Massimiliano Allegri has shut down any suggestion of a rift with Kevin De Bruyne, four days after Napoli's 3-1 win at Villarreal in the Champions League, where the midfielder appeared not to follow a tactical instruction from the bench to narrow his position. "There was a misunderstanding on the pitch, but it ended there. Kevin is a smart lad and he's understood," Allegri said on the eve of Venezia-Napoli.
Allegri has yet to decide whether Lucca starts, but he is open to playing two strikers together: "Two forwards? It can be a valid solution. Højlund as a second striker has done well, he only got the last choice wrong." There is better news in defence, with Marianucci and Beukema "fully reliable" again after their recoveries, and with Anguissa, Alisson and Olivera back; Neres remains out injured, while on McTominay the coach was blunt: "He needs to find his form by playing."
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On Venezia, bottom of the table with zero points but a side with "important quality", Allegri recalled Davide Nicola's "unthinkable survival" at Crotone and called for "respect for Venezia and humility" in a match Napoli must win. He also demanded more defensive solidity after this season's conceded comebacks: "We need to face fewer shots on target. We have to demand we improve."
Source: Il Mattino Napoli
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