Napoli Lose Another Mainstay to a Serious Thigh Issue

Things have gone from bad to worse at Napoli, as Frank Anguissa got hurt while with Cameroon and has been diagnosed with a high-grade biceps femoris strain in his left thigh. He’ll miss two to three months, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.

The star had arguably been the team’s most consistent performer so far, having tallied 4 goals in 15 appearances, assisting once. The injury will also force him to sit out AFCON 2025.

Napoli continue to be plagued by major thigh injuries, as Anguissa has picked up a problem similar to those sustained by Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne. It appears that he won’t require surgery.

The Partenopei were already looking for a midfielder and have long been coveting Kobbie Mainoo. It’s not clear whether Manchester United will let him go in January, though. They have also been routinely linked to Lorenzo Pellegrini. He has an expiring contract, but has been a regular.

The Azzurri will expand their shortlist. They could throw their hat in the ring for Davide Frattesi, who’s unhappy at Inter. Moreover, they could pursue Atalanta’s Ederson, Genoa’s Morten Frendrup, and Udinese’s Arthur Atta.

Our Take on Napoli and Anguissa

He’s arguably the one player they couldn’t afford to lose, as he has unique traits in their squad. They should switch to a scheme with two holding midfielders together, allowing them to deploy Stanislav Lobotka and Billy Gilmour together and maintain the balance. Fielding Elijf Elmas and Scott McTominay as box-to-box would be limiting for both and probably too aggressive. They should definitely sign a hardworking contributor like Frendrup or Ederson, but linchpins come at a premium in January.