Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna tore his Achilles tendon in a five-a-side match and was forced to undergo surgery.
- Napoli director Manna injured in five-a-side match
- Suffers torn Achilles, needed surgery
- Conte pushing for new striker after Lukaku blow
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WHAT HAPPENED?
According to , Napoli’s sporting director Manna suffered a freak Achilles tendon injury during a five-a-side training match. He required immediate surgery, which was carried out successfully by Dr. Ugo Camilleri at the Ruesch Clinic in Naples. The injury came just days before Gli Azzurri’s Serie A opener against Sassuolo, adding to the club’s troubles after Romelu Lukaku also picked up a serious muscle problem in a recent friendly against Olympiacos.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The timing of Manna’s setback couldn’t be worse for Napoli. Antonio Conte is already scrambling to find attacking solutions due to Lukaku’s injury, with the transfer deadline fast approaching. Remarkably, The 37-year-old has continued to oversee transfer business from his hospital bed, with names such as Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, as well as Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, being considered. His commitment underlines the urgency of Napoli’s situation, as the club aim to avoid a sluggish start in Serie A amid mounting setbacks off the pitch.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Manna only joined Napoli this summer after leaving Juventus, where he served as sporting director of the Under 23 side. He had first joined Juventus in 2019 as an academy manager before taking over the U23 role around 2020. His quick promotion to sporting director at Napoli was seen as a bold move by Aurelio De Laurentiis, entrusting him with the club’s transfer rebuild under Conte.
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WHAT NEXT FOR NAPOLI?
Manna is expected to be discharged soon and will travel with the squad to Reggio Emilia, though he will be on crutches. Napoli kick off their Serie A campaign against Sassuolo this Saturday, with transfer activity expected to intensify before the September 1 deadline as Conte pushes for reinforcements.
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