Napoli dealt bitter injury blow as Romelu Lukaku is ruled out until NOVEMBER after sustaining thigh injury in pre-season friendly

Lukaku suffered a thigh injury in a pre-season friendly against Olympiacos, and now the club has released a statement confirming his injury status. The Belgian underwent medical examinations at the Pineta Grande Hospital, and the reports suggest he has sustained a high-grade injury in the rectus femoris.

Lukaku has been an influential figure behind Napoli's recent success under Antonio Conte. The manager, who worked with him at Inter, will miss his main man up front for the next three months. Moreover, Gli Azzuri have sold other forwards like Giovanni Simeone and Giacomo Raspadori, which means with 13 days remaining for the transfer window to close, they will now have to seek a short-term replacement for the Belgian international. The club have Lorenzo Lucca, whom they acquired earlier this summer on loan from Udinese, but relying on a solitary striker might not help Napoli accomplish their seasonal objectives.

The statement from Napoli read, "Following the injury he suffered during the match against Olympiacos, Romelu Lukaku underwent medical examinations at the Pineta Grande Hospital, which revealed a high-grade injury to the rectus femoris in his left thigh. The Azzurri player has already begun the rehabilitation process and will receive surgical advice."

With Lukaku being ruled out till November, Napoli might be compelled to sign a new striker, as Conte would not want to start a new season without a prolific goal-poacher.