Napoli's Neres Out Until November, Leoni's Liverpool Return Delayed

Napoli Confirm Neres Hamstring Blow

Napoli have confirmed that winger David Neres sustained a low-grade hamstring injury during Tuesday night's Champions League defeat against Villarreal, and reports suggest the Brazilian could be sidelined until the November international break.

The Serie A club released a statement on Thursday confirming that Neres was brought in for medical tests at the Pineta Grande hospital earlier in the morning. Those tests revealed a low-grade injury to the semimembranosus muscle in his right thigh, picked up during the team's 3-1 Champions League defeat against Villarreal on Tuesday night.

According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, the injury could keep Neres out of action until the next international break in mid-November, although the club is holding out hope that he will be back in time for their Serie A match against Lazio on November 8.

A Crucial Run of Fixtures at Risk

Even in the best-case scenario, Neres is still expected to miss a crucial run of fixtures. The report indicates that the Brazilian could be absent for Serie A meetings with Venezia, Roma, Monza and Juventus, as well as Champions League clashes against Bodo/Glimt and Porto.

That represents a significant chunk of Napoli's autumn schedule, both domestically and in Europe, and leaves the club facing a stretch of important matches without one of their attacking options.

Neres is still waiting for his first goal of the 2026-27 campaign, having registered 174 minutes of action across six appearances between Serie A and the Champions League. His only start of the season came last weekend in a 3-0 victory over Frosinone.

For Napoli, the timing is far from ideal. The club will now be monitoring his recovery closely, with the Lazio fixture on November 8 emerging as the target date that could define how damaging this setback ultimately proves to be. Fans following the Italian top flight can keep track of how the standings shift in the meantime via our Serie A predictions.

Leoni's Liverpool Return Pushed Back

In a separate injury development, Giovanni Leoni's return to action for Liverpool has been delayed because of the severity of the knee injury he sustained on his debut, head coach Andoni Iraola has revealed.

The central defender had been expected to resume team training during the recent international break, but that schedule has been put back by approximately a month. Leoni, a £26m signing from Parma in 2025, sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Southampton 13 months ago.

Iraola disclosed that the damage extended beyond the ACL, meaning Liverpool must tread carefully with the 19-year-old's rehabilitation as a consequence.

"It is taking more time than we wanted," the head coach said. "With Gio, the plan was to train with the team in this past international break. It is probably now going to be the next international break [which starts on 9 November], so we have lost one month in the process."

Iraola added further detail on the nature of the setback: "With Giovanni's injury, I wasn't here but talking to the medical department it wasn't just an ACL. It was a bad injury, a lot of things around the knee were involved apart from the ACL."

Two Clubs Managing Long-Term Absences

Both situations underline how carefully clubs must manage serious injuries. For Liverpool, the delay to Leoni's return means the young defender's wait to properly begin his Anfield career extends into November at the earliest, with the club's medical staff clearly prioritising a full recovery over a rushed comeback.

For Napoli, the Neres setback adds to the challenges of a congested autumn programme. The winger's absence across Serie A and Champions League fixtures could force the coaching staff to reshuffle their attacking options during a period when squad depth is tested to its limit.

Injury news of this kind often reshapes expectations around upcoming matches, and both clubs will be eager for positive updates in the coming weeks. Supporters looking ahead to the next round of European fixtures can find analysis in our Champions League predictions, while those tracking the English top flight can follow developments through our Premier League predictions. For all the latest updates as these stories develop, keep an eye on our latest football news section.