Napoli defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo will be out for a month, missing big games against Atalanta, Fiorentina and Roma.
The right-back sprained his right knee during a collision with Udinese goalkeeper Marco Silvestri at the weekend.
It caused him to pull out of Italy’s squad for the World Cup play-offs and today the club announced further tests confirmed the diagnosis of a Grade II sprain.
That means Di Lorenzo should be out of action for at least a month while undergoing conservative treatment.
He will miss Napoli’s big Serie A matches against Atalanta, Fiorentina and Roma, with hope he could return in time to face Empoli on April 24.
It is a huge blow for Luciano Spalletti’s Scudetto ambitions, because Di Lorenzo had started all 39 competitive matches this season.
The alternatives to fill in are Kevin Malcuit and 21-year-old youth team player Alessandro Zanoli.
#Napoli, infortunio Di Lorenzo: confermata la distorsione: fuori un mese https://t.co/oBuq5Un5RX
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) March 23, 2022
Play Zanoli in his place. Let him get some real minutes at last, ffs.