Antonio Conte opens up on Scott McTominay concerns

Napoli’s late win at Genoa was a major boost for them as they look to catch Inter Milan in top spot.

Two former Manchester United players, Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund, have been pivotal in their resurgence.

It was Hojlund’s two goals on the day that won Antonio Conte’s side this tough away fixture.

Before the late winner, it was Scott McTominay’s thunderous long ranger that gave the Naples side the lead after Genos’s early goal.

Curiously, the Scottish international’s celebration was short-lived.

Between the two goals, McTominay had requested “magic spray” for his right ankle, and shortly after scoring, he was visibly hobbling with what Antonio Conte later described as a “gluteal and muscular issue.”

He was replaced at the interval, adding to Napoli’s mounting selection headaches.

The second half tested Napoli’s resolve further.

A second error from Buongiorno allowed Lorenzo Colombo to level the score at 2-2, and the visitors’ afternoon took another turn for the worse when Juan Jesus was dismissed for a second bookable offense in the 76th minute.

In the aftermath of the game, Antonio Conte is currently navigating a relentless fitness crisis at Napoli, with a decimated squad forcing him into increasingly desperate tactical improvisations, according to Goal.

The treatment room at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is currently occupied by several marquee names, including Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, leaving the manager with a threadbare bench and few options for rotation.

Among those still standing is Scott McTominay, who has been playing through significant discomfort to keep Napoli’s midfield afloat.

The midfielder had recently rejected an interest from the Saudi Arabian club. 

Addressing the Scotsman’s condition following the narrow victory over Genoa, Conte shed light on a lingering issue: “It’s a tendon problem he’s had since the start of the year. It hurts him every now and then, it doesn’t stop him from playing, but he plays at reduced speeds. He would have continued, but I’d rather have a player who is 100 percent fit than risk a key player like him.”

The boss did not hold back in his assessment of the current season, which he believes has exposed fundamental flaws in the club’s structural depth.

He added, “It’s a crazy season. If we’re all intelligent people, we’ll have to think about the composition of the squad, the transfer market we’ve done, and many other things, like the fact that we can’t draw from the youth system. Long-term injuries like those of De Bruyne and Lukaku have also come into play, as have [Andre-Frank Zambo] Anguissa and [Billy] Gilmour, who underwent surgery but continues to have problems.”

Conte struck a defiant—if slightly humorous—tone regarding the lack of available midfielders. “I’ll be playing soon!” Conte laughed. “I can’t play because there are rules, otherwise I could have helped.”