Beukema and Giovane still have zero minutes for Napoli this season
Allegri plans to use the international break to get both players fit, with David Neres also in contention to start when Napoli return against Frosinone.
Sam Beukema and Giovane, both signed last season, have yet to play a single minute in Napoli's opening five league matches this season. With Napoli ninth on 7 points after a stumbling start, head coach Allegri will use the international break to get them fit — a Dutch centre-back yet to recover from a physical issue, and a Brazilian back in training this week, for a side that is struggling to score.
Beukema closed last season (2025-26) with 91% pass completion, 83% in the opposition's attacking third, and 21.53 forward passes per game — the most of any defender in Serie A, and the second-most in the whole league. In his first matches of that campaign his accuracy in the opposition half was 86%, above both Napoli's average last season and this one. Giovane, back this week, can play wide or as an unconventional alternative to Højlund up front.
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The most immediate change concerns David Neres, who has never returned to his best since a January injury and has managed just 84 minutes this season — not even one full match. With Alisson Santos out until the end of October, and Lang marked down almost every time he has played, Neres would be the candidate to complete Napoli's attack alongside Højlund and Politano when the team return to action on 10 October against Frosinone.
Source: AreaNapoli
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