Napoli have announced that Kevin De Bruyne has successfully undergone surgery on his right hamstring and is expected to be out of action for up to four months.
The Belgian midfielder sustained the injury while converting a penalty during Napoli’s 3-1 victory over Inter, and he was later spotted leaving the stadium on crutches.
De Bruyne has been influential since joining the Italian champions, registering six goal contributions in 11 appearances across Serie A and the UEFA Champions League.
In an official statement, Napoli confirmed that the 34-year-old will carry out his rehabilitation in Belgium, following comments from the club’s sporting coordinator earlier this week indicating that the midfielder faces a recovery period of three to four months.
A club statement said: “As scheduled, Kevin De Bruyne underwent surgery today in Antwerp following a high-grade tear to his right thigh muscle.
“The surgery was a complete success. De Bruyne, assisted during the operation by the head of the Italian medical staff, Dr. Raffaele Canonico, will continue the first post-surgical phase of his rehabilitation in Belgium.”
Along with missing key Champions League fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt, Qarabag and Benfica for Napoli, De Bruyne will also be absent from Belgium’s final two World Cup qualifying matches.
Napoli manager Antonio Conte is now saddled with the tough task of reorganizing his team to cover the creative gap left by De Bruyne, who sadly joins a growing list of injury casualties on the roster of the Serie A champions.
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