The Brazilian may have suffered a tendon injury. A new medical evaluation is now pending to determine whether surgery is necessary. If so, the layoff would be quite lengthy

Adding insult to injury. David Neres continues to feel pain, and it is likely that, in the relapse he suffered against Parma, the Brazilian playmaker sustained a tendon injury. A new medical consultation is now pending to determine whether surgery is necessary. And so there is a risk of another long layoff for one of Napoli’s key players, in a season plagued by serious injuries. If surgery is required, Neres will be sidelined for about two months. Another blow for Conte, just as Lukaku and Anguissa are set to return.

THE PROBLEM—  Neres was injured in Rome on January 4, during Napoli’s victory at Lazio. An unnatural twist of the ankle, caused by a divot on the field. David left the stadium on crutches, and the sprain also cost him the big match against Inter. On the 14th, in agreement with the medical staff, Conte had called up Neres for the comeback match against Parma. The player had said he was available to play part of the game, and so it was. In the 14th minute of the second half, Neres came off after 32 minutes due to a flare-up of pain in his ankle. And his rehabilitation has progressed slowly, with the pain never fully subsiding. That is why surgery is now being considered to resolve the issue. The next consultation will determine the exact next steps. Napoli is anxious: another star risks a long layoff.