Napoli go to Florence missing eight players

Allegri takes the season's longest injury list to Fiorentina's Franchi on Sunday, but the club already has a return plan mapped out for Meret and Marianucci in time for Frosinone on 10 October, with McTominay's comeback close behind.

by Gennaro SanninoFriday 18 September, 22:21 CET· 2 hours ago

Otto assenze per Firenze, poi il piano recuperi: Meret e Marianucci pronti per il Frosinone — Grafica Arena Napoli

Six players are certain absentees for Napoli's trip to Fiorentina: Meret, Buongiorno, Marianucci, McTominay, Alisson Santos and Giovane. Spinazzola and Anguissa join them, ruled out this week by a right hamstring strain and an adductor problem respectively. That takes the list to eight absences for Sunday's game.

It's a long list for a squad that has already had to rebuild its defence. Buongiorno's injury forced Rafa Marín into the side alongside Rrahmani, while Badiashile is still waiting for his first league start after an underwhelming debut at San Siro. With Meret out, the goalkeeper's jersey should go to Milinković-Savić.

The recovery plan

After the Franchi, the calendar changes shape. Serie A pauses for the international break, and Napoli won't play again until 10 October, when Frosinone visit the Maradona. The gap gives the club time to empty a treatment room that has shaped team selection for the past month.

The plan for those returns is already in place. Allegri expects to have Meret and Marianucci back for the Frosinone game. The most anticipated news concerns McTominay: his recovery from cardiac ablation surgery is on track for clearance to play in the first days of October, with a return to Castel Volturno (the training ground) set for Monday 21 September.

Giovane, Alisson Santos and Buongiorno are expected to remain out even beyond the pause. Alisson Santos's recovery from a left hamstring injury is estimated at four to eight weeks.

A structural problem, not a September blip

This matters because Napoli have the oldest squad in Serie A and are still carrying criticism over the transfer business done across Conte's two years in charge. A treatment room this full in September isn't a seasonal detail — it's a structural problem. The international break will show whether the medical staff can actually reverse the trend, not just give tired players a rest.

First, though, there is Florence: kick-off at the Franchi is 12:30 CET (11:30 UK, 06:30 ET) on Sunday. With eight players out and Napoli 10th on 6 points, Allegri will have to manage the emergency with no room for compromise.