Romelu Lukaku will miss Napoli’s opening match of their Serie A title defence after sustaining a thigh injury that could sideline the Belgian striker for months, the Italian champions announced on Monday.
Napoli, who face newly promoted Sassuolo away on Saturday, confirmed in a statement that Lukaku suffered a “serious” tear in his left thigh during Thursday’s pre-season friendly against Olympiakos.
Although the club gave no timeline for his recovery, Italian media reported he might not return until November. Napoli also indicated that the 32-year-old could require surgery.
Lukaku played a decisive role in Napoli’s fourth league triumph last season, providing 10 assists in Serie A to complement the 14 goals he scored under coach Antonio Conte.