Antonio Conte reveals why he left Rasmus Hojlund and Scott McTominay out of Napoli's defeat to Torino

Hojlund has enjoyed a purple patch ever since he moved to Napoli on a loan deal with an option to buy next summer from Manchester United. After being put into Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad' at Old Trafford during pre-season, the Danish striker had little option but to leave United. However, the switch has proved to be a boon for the striker, who massively misfired in England after impressing at Atalanta in his early days.

Since the switch to Naples, Hojlund has already scored four goals in six matches across all competitions and was also in fine form during the international break. After starring with a brace in Denmark's 6-0 thrashing of Belarus in the World Cup qualifiers, he once again contributed with a goal in their 3-0 win over Greece in their second match in October. 

After a delightful showing against the Greeks, Hojlund took to social media to share his feelings, as he wrote: "A wise man once said: Goals are like ketchup. Once they come, they keep on coming."

Despite enjoying a brilliant run of form, Conte did not include Hojlund or another ex-United star McTominay, in his matchday squad for the Torino. After the loss, the Italian coach explained his decision.

On Hojlund and McTominay's exclusion, Conte told reporters: "They came with us because we wanted them to play. On Thursday, McTominay injured himself and needed six stitches to his ankle. It was annoying. We tried yesterday, but he preferred not to take any risks. I can't force anyone. 

"Rasmus arrived very tired from the national team: he wasn't playing, then he played every game against us and against Denmark. He had a small strain in his quadriceps: playing every three days, even a small problem like that becomes a problem. There was no point in risking him when we had alternatives. A healthy horse is better than a lame horse, they say in my house."

The loss against Torino was the champions' second defeat of the 2025-26 campaign as they slipped to the second position on the points table, following Inter's 1-0 win over Roma. Napoli and Inter are now tied on 15 points but the Nerrazurri are ahead on goal difference.

Dissecting his team's performance, Conte added: "Today, if you look at the goal we conceded... we scored it. There wasn't a defensive blunder or someone's misplaced exit. Unfortunately, there was this rebound, where Gilmour (who had a great game) accidentally touched the ball and set up Simeone. It wasn't a move created by Torino that put us in trouble."

He added: "We have to be good at preparing for these counterattacks. This is a team that plays and moves forward, it's inevitable that when you leave 50 meters of the pitch, you have to be good at defending those 50 meters of the pitch. When you press high up, it's inevitable that you'll accept duels."

McTominay took Serie A by storm in his maiden campaign at Napoli last season as he won the league's Most Valuable Player of the Year award and contributed to the club's league triumph. However, the midfielder has yet to replicate his form from last season in the 2025-26 campaign thus far. The Scottish midfielder has appeared in six league matches for the club and has provided just one assist. In the recent international break, McTominay finally found his scoring boots as he bagged the winner in Scotland's narrow 2-1 victory over Belarus in a World Cup qualifying match. 

Conte's side will be back in action on Tuesday as they face Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in a crucial Champions League match. The manager will hope that Hojlund and McTominay recover properly and can return to the starting lineup for that match.