'I give up!' - Antonio Conte rages at 'absurd' claims Kevin De Bruyne's long injury lay-off will benefit Napoli

Napoli had to dig deep to claim all three points against a resilient Lecce side, securing a 1-0 win at the Via del Mare. It wasn’t their most convincing display, but Conte’s men did enough to hold their lead and stay top of Serie A. It was a crucial win for the Gli Azzurri, who went into the game without De Bruyne. The Belgian remains sidelined with a serious thigh injury, which is expected to keep him out of action until at least 2026.

The former Manchester City midfielder suffered a serious thigh injury after scoring from the penalty spot against Inter. The 34-year-old had been central to Napoli’s attacking rhythm since joining from City this summer, contributing four goals and two assists in 11 appearances across all competitions.

Conte couldn’t hide his frustration over recent media chatter from a few analysts suggesting that Napoli might benefit from an injury to a player of De Bruyne’s calibre. 

"Let's not forget this start to the season, where we're making a virtue of necessity," the Italian said after Napoli's win on Tuesday. "Key players are getting injured, there's been talk of major reinforcements, and meanwhile we've lost Lukaku and now De Bruyne too. Some said we benefited from that, and I find that absurd.

"I remember the headlines about his signing [De Bruyne] for Napoli, which was outpacing their rivals. Now, some dare say [his injury] could be an advantage, it's fantastic: I give up, I've heard all sorts of things. Lukaku has disappeared from the radar, now De Bruyne's absence is an advantage: it's Oscar-worthy.

"Let's look at the goalkeepers: the third keeper broke, then [Alex] Meret, and some were wondering why we also brought in [Vanja] Milinkovic-Savic, while now he's the only one left. Maybe we need to keep quiet sometimes, because some people have a slightly longer view, and in the end, the facts prove them right."

Despite Conte’s defence, his relationship with De Bruyne didn't get off to a positive start. The coach had previously warned the Belgian about controlling his emotions after the midfielder reacted angrily to being substituted during a 2-1 loss to AC Milan last month.

Meanwhile, Napoli’s injury troubles continue to pile up. The team is already without De Bruyne, Lukaku and goalkeeper Meret, while Noa Lang provided another big scare by picking up a knock against Lecce. Conte, however, played down the concern after the match. 

"Lang had two knocks in the same area, I think it's a stiffening of the muscle, but taking knees in the same area isn't easy. It's not a broken bone. I'm also happy for him, as it was his first game as a starter. We have to involve everyone in a difficult situation; we must never lack spirit," he added.

Napoli’s title defence faces its biggest challenge yet without De Bruyne leading the pack. The Belgian’s injury has left a massive hole in Conte’s plans, forcing the coach to rely on squad depth to keep their momentum going. They will next face Como, who have been in fine form this season, before facing Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.

For now, Napoli can enjoy being alone at the top of the Serie A table, while waiting to see how Roma fare against Parma later tonight. But with several key players sidelined, the Italian manager knows his side will have to dig deep to stay ahead in the race.