Napoli star Kevin De Bruyne is expected to be unavailable until February after picking up a serious injury last week.
The Belgian international immediately gripped his hamstring after scoring a penalty during Napoli’s 3-1 win over Inter in Serie A over the weekend. The club have since revealed that he had suffered a severe tear in his thigh, which required surgery to resolve.
Now, the club have given an update on the surgery which they say has gone well in what is finally some good news for manager Antonio Conte.
“As planned, Kevin De Bruyne underwent surgery on Wednesday in Antwerp, following a high-grade tear of the biceps femoris in the right thigh.
“The operation went well. De Bruyne, who was assisted during the operation by the head of Napoli’s medical staff, Dr. Raffaele Canonico, will now begin the first post-surgery phase of rehabilitation in Belgium.”
As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, the rehab phase after De Bruyne’s surgery could take anywhere between three to five months and many predict he will not return until February at least.
The 34-year-old had been central to Napoli’s midfield setup under Conte who is said to eyeing Manchester United outcast Kobbie Mainoo as a replacement in the January transfer window.
De Bruyne has scored four goals in eight league appearances and made a further three appearances in the Champions League. He will now miss many key league and European fixtures before he returns, and could now miss out on the World Cup next summer.