Three papers give Lobotka three different return dates

Napoli have given no timeline for their playmaker's ankle injury, and the papers cannot agree on one. Juventus, Sunday's opponents, have been kept together at their training base, and the Corriere dello Sport has already picked a midfield without him.

by Gennaro SanninoFriday 30 October, 08:39 CET· 3 hours ago

Foto lavoro di squadra sportivo e ritratto di uomini sul campo di calcio per sfida di alle — Foto: magnific.com

Two days after the 1-4 win at Monza, the news is Lobotka's left ankle, not the result. He went off injured, and the club has announced a contusion and sprain without saying how long he will be out.

The papers have put a date on it, but each has chosen a different one. That matters because Napoli play Juventus at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday 1 November. Both sides have 14 points, and the winner moves clear of the other. So on Friday 30 October the question is simple: who holds the midfield together in Turin?

How long is he out?

Il Mattino is the most pessimistic. It says scans found two lesions in the ankle, its headline warns of a "possible long lay-off" and it does not expect him back until 2027.

The Corriere dello Sport says about six weeks. Sky Sport names a game: Lobotka could return in mid-December for the Coppa Italia (Italy's cup competition) tie against Fiorentina at the Maradona.

Sky and the Corriere dello Sport are close. Il Mattino is not, and the gap is real: on its reading, Lobotka would not play again before the end of 2026.

The team for Turin

The Corriere dello Sport is already thinking about Sunday. Its headline reads: "De Bruyne as playmaker in front of the defence". The paper expects De Bruyne and Meret to start.

Allegri will be in the stands, with Landucci on the bench. Il Mattino gives the terms of the ban: two matches and a €10,000 fine. Allegri returns to the bench for the home game against Lazio at the Maradona.

Juventus under pressure

According to Sky Sport, Juventus are in ritiro (kept together at the training ground) from Friday until the match, after the 2-0 in Genoa. Chief executive Carnevali has asked the players for an "immediate response".

La Repubblica goes further. It says Juventus are considering alternatives to Spalletti. The same piece mentions Antonio Conte, who coached Napoli until last season. According to the paper, he would not take over in mid-season and would prefer Manchester United.

Varela and Qualiano

TuttoMercatoWeb reports that Napoli like Varela, who scored against us for Monza on Wednesday, as a January signing. Monza are said to want €25m, although the same piece also mentions a lower valuation of €20m. The window reopens on 2 January.

On Qualiano, the planned site of the new training centre, two papers tell the same story. La Repubblica says Aurelio De Laurentiis is ready to sign the preliminary agreement "in the coming hours". Il Mattino confirms that lawyers have exchanged documents and says building work could begin in January.

Our view

The papers are right to argue over Lobotka's return date, but nobody is asking what happens behind him. Buongiorno, Badiashile and Spinazzola are all out. Moving De Bruyne in front of the defence takes quality away from the attacking midfield and asks a player who has never done the screening job to do it, in a side that already concedes too much.

At Monza we won 1-4, yet we let a team with 35% of the ball have 12 shots. And a Juventus side locked away in ritiro and under scrutiny is not good news for us. They arrive on Sunday with everything to prove, and Allegri's choices will count, even from the stands.