Lobotka out for six weeks as Allegri admits Napoli must defend better

Lobotka will be out for around six weeks. Until now the papers had disagreed about his ankle injury. Massimiliano Allegri settled it on Saturday 31 October, the day before Napoli visit Juventus: "We have lost Lobotka, who is an important player. He should be back in about 6 weeks. Luckily his foot didn't stay planted on the ground."

On the centre-back, Allegri said: "He had flu in the last few days. Yesterday he trained, and today we'll see how he is. If he's well enough he plays. Otherwise one of Marianucci and Beukema will play." He said much the same about Anguissa: "Yesterday he was better. We'll see how he is today. If he's well, he plays."

Rrahmani's numbers show what is at stake. With him in the side, Napoli concede between 0.69 and 0.72 goals a game. Without him, the figure is about 1.7. With Lobotka already missing from the base of midfield, losing Anguissa as well would leave the midfield another man short in Turin. Allegri expects to have Spinazzola, Neres and Favasuli back after the international break, but said that "Alisson is still a bit behind".

The defence, finally named

The most telling moment came when Allegri admitted what the fanbase has been holding against him: "In recent games we've scored a lot, but we've also conceded a lot. We need to defend better and manage possession better."

The figures back him up. Against Bodø/Glimt, Roma and Monza, Napoli scored 11 and conceded 7, including a 4-3 in the Champions League and a 3-3 at the Maradona. Even in the 4-1 at Monza, they allowed 12 shots to a side that had only 35% of the ball.

"This team has very good technical quality," he added. "It has to get better at managing the ball when we're ahead." He is right about the problem. But nine rounds into the season, supporters expected a solution by now, and finding one is the coach's job.

Another line said more about how he sees the moment: "Right now there has to be balance. We need to keep quiet and work. We're behind in the table, and we need to fix our position in the table."

Nobody can argue with that. Napoli are seventh on 14 points, 11 behind Inter and Lazio and six behind fourth-placed Como. The rest is less convincing. Allegri listed the aims as "staying among the top places, getting through the Champions League round and staying in the race for the Coppa Italia" (Italy's cup competition). It is a neat list from a man keeping his options open. A few days earlier, Højlund had said the team wanted to "win something". The dressing room and the bench still sound different, and the fans can hear it.

A wounded Juventus

Allegri spent ten years at Juventus ("my son still lives in Turin"), and he issued a warning: "In the media they're being written off as a dead team, but Juventus rarely die."

He expects them to be "wounded and angry" after losing 2-0 in Genoa. The squad has been sent into a training camp at the Continassa, the club's training base. He also pointed out that Juventus were "built to fight for the top four positions". That judgement applies to Napoli as well. Both squads are of a similar standard and both teams have 14 points, so this is a game between equals.

Allegri will not be on the bench. He is still suspended, so his assistant Landucci takes charge again. Allegri put off any reckoning until March, "when wins will be needed to reach the objectives".

Napoli cannot wait that long. When the sides meet at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday 1 November at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET), the winner moves clear of the loser. On Wednesday Napoli face Porto at the Dragão.