De Bruyne seriously injured, out for three months

Antonio Conte has brought the title back to Naples. And this season, despite some problems — a few of them rather unexpected — Napoli find themselves sharing first place with Roma. They’re there thanks to a derby win over Inter, but that victory came at a heavy price. Napoli’s championship dreams could slowly begin to unravel, as the news isn’t good: Kevin De Bruyne has suffered a thigh muscle injury and will be out until February! It’s a bad day for the reigning champions — the Neapolitans have received troubling updates. The initial tests have been completed, the injury confirmed, and its nature requires a long recovery. The Belgian playmaker has suffered a high-grade hamstring injury in his right leg.

Manchester in Naples – De Bruyne and McTominay fuel Napoli's engine against Inter

The injury is similar to the one Romelu Lukaku suffered earlier. The striker tore one of the four quadriceps muscles over the summer and won’t return to the pitch until 2026. Because of that, Napoli moved to strengthen their attack by signing Lorenzo Lucca from Udinese.

As for Kevin De Bruyne, he underwent medical exams at the Pineta Grande clinic and has already begun rehabilitation, according to Napoli’s official statement. According to club sources, De Bruyne is not expected to return before February 2026, meaning he will miss at least three months of action. This leaves Antonio Conte without his most influential playmaker — a key figure in Napoli’s attacking system. The Belgian scored against Inter, giving the Italian champions the lead, but had to leave the field just four minutes later. He felt pain in his right thigh, went to the locker room, and later returned on crutches to watch the second half from the bench. A serious creative setback for Napoli.