Napoli Forced to Scramble after Massive Lukaku Blow

Romelu Lukaku suffered a severe thigh injury in the final friendly before the start of the season, and Napoli must shift their focus to finding a new striker since he’ll be sidelined for a long while, Sky reports.

The Belgian international sustained a high-grade right rectus femoris lesion. He’ll consult a surgeon to decide the best route for the rehab. He’ll be on the mend for two or three months, potentially more if he goes under the knife.

Napoli started canvassing the market after the Lukaku news. They have inquired about the center-forwards famously available on the market, such as Rasmus Hojlund and Dusan Vlahovic, who are on Milan’s shortlist, Nenad Krstovic, who’s a target for Atalanta and Wolfsburg, Andrea Pinamonti, and Breel Embolo. They haven’t made a move for any of them yet. The Azzurri have also been offered Nicolas Jackson and Artem Dovbyk, Alfredo Pedullà relays.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Antonio Conte is high on Joshua Zirkzee, but he’s not for sale. Manchester United would rather offload his Danish teammate instead.

Our Take on Napoli Losing Lukaku

It’s such a big loss that it could impact the title race. It’s a shame as he looked great physically last season and also this summer. The timing is the only silver lining. They’d be screwed if it happened once the window was over, or also earlier, as they would have just kept Giovanni Simeone and/or Giacomo Raspadori, who aren’t proper substitutes.

Identifying the right replacement is their first order of business now. It might cost them a couple of pieces in other roles. It can’t be just a patch, and they have to think long-term. There’s no telling how long it’ll take him to round into shape once he’s healthy.