Badiashile and Spinazzola ruled out with muscle injuries after Roma 3-3

Napoli's medical bulletin confirms two new defensive absentees, with no return dates given. Rrahmani trained normally with the group.

by Gennaro SanninoMonday 26 October, 14:12 CET· 4 hours ago

Badiashile con la maglia del Chelsea — Foto: les-transferts.com

Napoli have two more defenders injured after the 3-3 draw with Roma. Badiashile has a medium-grade tear of the right rectus femoris, the quadriceps muscle at the front of the thigh. Spinazzola has a low-grade tear of the right biceps femoris, the hamstring.

The diagnoses followed tests at the Pineta Grande Hospital. Spinazzola felt muscle discomfort in the closing minutes against Roma. Badiashile came off early in the second half, replaced by Beukema in the 52nd minute.

No recovery times have been given. The return date for Badiashile is unknown. A comeback after the international break had been suggested earlier, which would mean Monza, Juventus and Porto without him.

He is the twelfth Napoli player to land in the treatment room this season. In a squad of 26, that is no longer a coincidence. The club and the medical staff owe an explanation, and the silence over the fitness programme is becoming harder to accept.

A thinner defence

Napoli play at Monza, at the U-Power Stadium, on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET), with fewer options at the back. Spinazzola started against Roma alongside Rrahmani, Rafa Marín and Di Lorenzo.

Di Lorenzo, the captain, has a knee contusion picked up against Bodø/Glimt. He came off in the second half on Saturday, so Allegri has to manage his availability too. Favasuli is not back until the Torino game on 21 November, and Buongiorno, who had knee cartilage surgery, is expected in January.

The one piece of good news for Allegri is Rrahmani. The Kosovan trained normally with the group after the fever reported before the Roma game. It matters: with him on the pitch Napoli concede between 0.69 and 0.72 goals a game, and about 1.7 without him.

The rest of the back line, with Beukema (€31m) asked to cover the gaps, is untested.

Napoli have conceded 17 goals in 11 games, seven of them in the last three, and the defence is losing players before it has settled. Juventus and Porto follow within a week of Monza.

The transfer window is shut until 2 January, so free agents are the only option. Unless the club changes how the squad is managed, this season may be decided more by the medical room than by the pitch.