Antonio Conte (Napoli)
October 2025
Napoli’s 1–0 loss at Torino came without Højlund and McTominay. Conte said McTominay needed six ankle stitches and Højlund arrived fatigued with a minor quad strain after international duty, ruling both out to avoid escalation. Conte confirmed late fitness checks failed. With three-day fixture cadence raising soft-tissue risk, staff prioritised fully fit alternatives. Højlund’s recent goal run for club and Denmark informed a conservative call to preserve medium-term availability.