Antonio Conte disclosed that Kevin De Bruyne was unavailable for the match against Napoli due to a severe training incident. The Belgian midfielder suffered a head clash that necessitated hospital treatment and four stitches. Conte confirmed there was no head trauma, but De Bruyne’s condition was still concerning.
Reports had circulated earlier in the day suggesting De Bruyne would not start, with Giovane taking his place. The exact nature of De Bruyne’s injury remained unclear until Conte’s statement, and he was not present on the bench for the game.
De Bruyne’s Setback Confirmed by Conte
“De Bruyne had a collision in training, a clash of heads, his cheekbone split open, he needed four stitches and tests. There is no head trauma, but he is still not in great shape,” Conte informed DAZN Italia.
The match also saw the return of captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who had been sidelined since January 31 after sustaining a knee ligament injury. Conte emphasized Di Lorenzo’s importance to the team, stating, “I think Giovanni represents Napoli of this era, he has been here a long time, is the captain, the only player who has won everything the club has won in these years.”
Conte added, “He’s an important player, a charismatic figure, and now, after two weeks of training with the team, it is only right that he returns to the starting XI.”
Inter Milan has secured the Scudetto with three games remaining, dethroning Napoli as champions of Italy. Reflecting on the season and his previous comments about second place being for “losers,” Conte expressed his perspective: “We try to do our best. I think this has been a very, very difficult year where we found ourselves in situations that could’ve knocked us down. Those who were left over did well to cover absences that lasted five or six months.”
“We kept ourselves afloat, Inter deserve credit for their title and the winning mentality is also shown by giving credit to the team that did better. Inter won, congratulations to them, but that doesn’t mean that we lost.”