LISBON, PORTUGAL – DECEMBER 10: Giovanni Di Lorenzo during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between SL Benfica and SSC Napoli at Estadio da Luz on December 10, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
Thursday’s reports confirm that Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo is ready to return to Antonio Conte’s starting line-up in Serie A this weekend as the Italy international marks 100 days since his most recent injury.
Di Lorenzo finally set for Napoli return
Di Lorenzo has been out of action for exactly 100 days, dating back to his side’s 2-1 victory against Fiorentina in Serie A on January 31. The Partenopei captain was taken off with a knee injury during that game with fears that he might have damaged his cruciate ligament (ACL).
Fortunately for Di Lorenzo, the issue was diagnosed as a hyperextension, significantly less severe than an ACL tear, but, the right-back decided to have surgery anyway in order to fix a foot injury which had been causing him pain for much of the 2025-26 season.
The knee injury and surgery on Di Lorenzo’s foot have kept him out of action for the last 12 Serie A matches. He returned to the matchday squad for Napoli’s 0-0 draw against Como this weekend, but remained an unused substitute.
Now, according to updates from Corriere dello Sport, Di Lorenzo is now in line to return to the Napoli starting line-up for this weekend’s match against Bologna. The 32-year-old had played for the full 90 minutes in all 22 of Napoli’s Serie A matches prior to his injury.