Conte: Napoli put ‘helmets on’ amid injury crisis, Lukaku ‘absolutely not ready’

Antonio Conte says Napoli ‘need to put our helmets on’ due to their injury crisis and urges the medical staff to ‘talk more’ about injury issues.

Napoli prepare to face Qarabag in the Champions League on Tuesday.

It’s a home fixture for the Partenopei, who have only earned four points in the opening four games in the competition, losing and drawing once and losing twice.

Tomorrow marks the fifth anniversary of Maradona’s death and Conte is determined to secure a victory to dedicate to the Argentine legend.

“Of course, it’s the anniversary of Maradona’s passing. We all know what he represents for Naples, and it would certainly be nice if we could dedicate a win to him,” the Napoli boss said at a pre-match press conference on Monday, via TuttoNapoli.

“Qarabag can be considered the surprise team of the Champions League. They have seven points, even earned on difficult pitches like Benfica’s. They drew the last home game against Chelsea, almost winning at the end. They have many foreign players, but well integrated. We’ll need a lot of energy from the start because they’ll bring plenty of it.”

Several key Napoli players have suffered injuries this season. Romelu Lukaku has been sidelined since August, and in recent weeks, Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Anguissa, Alex Meret, Leonardo Spinazzola and Billy Gilmour also suffered injuries.

“There are things a coach can control, like preparing for the match, but what you can’t control is who you have available,” Conte said.

“Since the beginning of the year, we’ve had to make a virtue of necessity to compensate for important situations. We’ve been doing that from the start, and I hope things turn a bit in our favour so we can have a wider range of choices and not constantly chase after emergencies.”

Even Amir Rrahmani and Rasmus Hojlund were subbed off against Atalanta on Saturday, but Conte seemed confident they’d be available tomorrow.

“The substitutions were technical-tactical. Amir was coming off two intense matches with the national team. He had an excellent first half and spent a lot of energy. Same for Hojlund, he had given everything,” Conte said.

“As for Gilmour and Spinazzola…sometimes I’d like the medical staff to talk more about the situation because they’re specialists. These aren’t muscle injuries, and if you ask me about recovery times, even today, I’m still unable to know.”

Because of the many injuries, Conte used a three-man defence against Atalanta in the previous Serie A round.

“The switch to a back three is a result of the emergency, but mainly because of the two-man midfield and to have an option like Elmas on the bench, even if it’s not exactly his role,” he explained.

“It’s not about the numbers; you have to work on it and put the players in the best conditions. Then you can defend with one system and attack with another.”

David Neres and Noa Lang provided the goals for Saturday’s win over Atalanta.

“I’d make distinctions,” Conte argued.

“Noa arrived this year, while Neres was already here and has been decisive in many matches. We’re not discovering a player we didn’t know.

“Against Atalanta, the finishing was excellent; now we need to continue. Atalanta is already in the past, now there’s a new match, time to give answers, confirmations and move forward.”

Reports in Italy have suggested that Lukaku could be available for the next Serie A match against Roma, but Conte didn’t really sound optimistic about the Belgian’s return.

“He’s absolutely not ready; he still needs to work,” Conte concluded.

“We know his importance in every aspect. We’re talking about a player at a recognised international level. He gives a lot and will give a lot when fully fit, also in the dressing room, because he’s one of the most charismatic. He had to undergo treatment for many months in Belgium. He’s important because, in this emergency, we’ll all need to put our helmets on.”