Hojlund Set for Bench as Allegri Clears Air Over De Bruyne Spat
Massimiliano Allegri addressed the media in Naples ahead of Napoli’s Serie A match against Venezia, confirming potential changes to his starting lineup following a midweek Champions League defeat to Villarreal. Sitting on 10 points from six domestic matches, the Italian manager evaluated squad fatigue and clarified recent touchline friction.
The Napoli head coach singled out striker Rasmus Hojlund as a candidate for rotation after a heavy opening workload this season. Allegri noted that forward Lorenzo Lucca could feature in his place to manage squad fitness ahead of the upcoming domestic fixture.
Kevin De Bruyne
playerAllegri Confirms Rest Plan for Rasmus Hojlund Ahead of Venezia Clash
When questioned about player workload following dense match scheduling, Allegri confirmed that Hojlund may start on the bench after opening every fixture for the club so far this campaign.
βWeβll train today, then Iβll decide whether Lucca or Hojlund will play. Hojlund has played a lot of matches and needs some rest, or perhaps to come off the bench. Lucca also did well when he came on in Spain. He had a couple of promising situations; he took a shot in one of them but it was blocked, and his movement was good.β
Massimiliano Allegri
coachTactician β’ Pragmatic 3-5-2, Defensive Low-Block, Direct Transition PlayποΈ Napoli π Italyβ
The potential change upfront introduces Lorenzo Lucca into contention for the central attacking role against a Venezia side now led by Davide Nicola. While Frank Anguissa, Mathias Olivera, and Alisson return to availability, David Neres has suffered another injury setback, keeping him out alongside longer-term absentees Antonio Vergara and Constantin Favasuli.
Allegri Dismisses Midweek Dispute With Kevin De Bruyne
Addressing an on-field argument with midfielder Kevin De Bruyne during the 3-1 Champions League loss to Villarreal, Allegri minimized the incident as a brief structural misunderstanding during a dynamic period of the match.
βNo, absolutely not. It was a misunderstanding during a particularly difficult moment in the match because we went from leading 1, 0 to trailing 2, 1, but it ended there. These things happen and will happen again. Of course, itβs better if we understand each other immediately. Either I speak English, or he speaks Italian.β
Allegri rejected suggestions that the loss in Spain or recent drops in form indicate a systemic issue within the squad. He emphasized that early-season results do not define the group’s trajectory as they attempt to integrate recovering players and manage multi-competition demands.
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