Billy Gilmour is expected to feature in Napoli's last two games following an injury to a key midfielder as Antonio Conte's men eye the Serie A title.
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Napoli dealt crushing blow in Serie A title raceKey midfield anchor suffers an untimely injuryConte set to count on Gilmour in last two fixturesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Napoli boss Conte was dealt a crushing blow in his aspirations to lift the Serie A trophy this season after the club officially confirmed that midfielder Stanislav Lobotka has suffered an ankle injury, meaning the Slovak is expected to be unavailable for the final two games of the season. However, Lobotka's absence could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the out-of-favour Gilmour, who looks likely to slot into midfield as Napoli aim to regain the Scudetto.
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Lobotka suffered an injury to his right ankle during Napoli's clash against Genoa at the Stadio Maradona on Sunday. Upon further examination conducted by the club's doctors, Napoli announced a medical report confirming an ankle injury. "Stanislav Lobotka underwent diagnostic tests at Pineta Grande Hospital on Tuesday, which revealed that he has sprained his right ankle," read Napoli's statement on Tuesday. "The player has already begun a course of therapy."
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Conte hasn't counted much on Gilmour this season, with the in-form Scott McTominay, Lobotka, and Frank Anguissa playing the majority of the minutes as the preferred midfield trio. Indeed, all three have clocked over 2,700 minutes each in all competitions. Gilmour, in stark contrast, has only played 1,195 minutes. The final two games of the season provide the Scottish international an ideal opportunity to prove his mettle under Conte.
GOALWHAT NEXT FOR NAPOLI?
Although their final fixtures are against sides lingering in the bottom of the table, Napoli have no margin for error as they hold a slender one-point lead over defending champions Inter in the title race. Conte's troops will next take on 16th-placed Parma on Sunday, May 18, before rounding out the season against 14th-placed Cagliari the following weekend.
