Dries Mertens has assured Maurizio Sarri that “I don’t feel tired” after the Napoli Coach wanted Belgium to rest the forward over the international break.
Sarri revealed he had tried to contact Belgium boss Roberto Martinez about not playing Mertens, given the Red Devils had already qualified for the World Cup next summer and Arkadiusz Milik’s recent ACL injury.
Dries Mertens has assured Maurizio Sarri that “I don’t feel tired” after the Napoli Coach wanted Belgium to rest the forward over the international break.
Sarri revealed he had tried to contact Belgium boss Roberto Martinez about not playing Mertens, given the Red Devils had already qualified for the World Cup next summer and Arkadiusz Milik’s recent ACL injury.
Nonetheless, the 30-year-old told La Repubblica: “I understand [his concerns] as we’ve been playing every three days and we’ve already suffered injuries.
“However, I don’t feel tired: I was able to rest in the past, when I was on the bench for Belgium as well.
“Centre-forward in Lukaku’s absence? We’ll see. The CT, Roberto Martinez, will decide, but I’m available to him.
“My transformation? I’ve changed a lot as a player. I think I’ve got better and I can still improve further.
“Scudetto? We can do great things, but there are so many teams competing, so it won’t be easy.
“We have to dream and hope the title comes our way. The comparisons with Maradona make me happy.
“I’m staying grounded and I hope this moment will last for as long as possible.”