Max Allegri has indicated he will delay final judgements on his Napoli squad until the transfer window shuts, following a 2-0 pre-season friendly victory over Serie B side Carrarese. Goals from Rasmus Hojlund and Giovane secured the win at the club’s training camp, but the performance was overshadowed by another injury setback.
Hojlund opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, reacting quickest to a deflected effort from Antonio Vergara. The young midfielder then won a penalty before half-time, which Giovane calmly converted to double the advantage. Matteo Politano struck the crossbar with a curling effort during the first period, while Alex Meret produced a crucial save to deny Cisse after the interval. Carrarese also hit the woodwork through Abiuso.
Injury Blow for Vergara
The victory came at a cost, however, as Vergara limped off with a left knee issue ten minutes from time. With all substitutions already completed, the player could only sit on the touchline with an ice pack as Napoli saw out the match with ten men.
Vergara’s problem adds to an already lengthy injury list. Defenders Alessandro Buongiorno and Sam Beukema remain sidelined, while Juan Jesus is set to leave the club as a free agent. These absences leave Allegri with limited options at the back ahead of the new campaign.
Transfer Market Patience
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia after the match, Allegri emphasised that squad evaluation must wait until business concludes. “The club will think about the transfer market, my job is to coach the players,” he said. “At this moment, practically all the Italian clubs are static on the market. We’ve got another three friendlies, then we’ll calmly assess our situation once the window closes.”
The manager retains faith in his current group, remarking that he harbours “no doubts regarding the quality of my players,” though he added that fitness levels must improve rapidly with the season approaching.
De Bruyne Uncertainty
Allegri also addressed the situation regarding Kevin De Bruyne, who has one year remaining on his Napoli deal. Suggestions indicate the Belgian midfielder is unenthusiastic about remaining under Allegri, whose methods are viewed as more conservative than those of predecessor Antonio Conte.
“We face a significant campaign across three major competitions, so we need a squad up to the task, and above all the desire of each of us to put in a good year,” Allegri added. “In order to do that, we must establish the groundwork during the opening six months so we’re ready in March to play our cards in all three competitions.”
Napoli fielded different line-ups in each half, with Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marianucci and Spinazzola starting the first period, while Contini, Mazzocchi, Rafa Marin, Obaretin and Garofalo appeared after the break.