Blow for Napoli and Senegal as injury rules Koulibaly out for a month

Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly is expected to be out of action for at least a month due to an injury in his left thigh, GOAL can confirm.

Koulibaly complained of pains around his left thigh during Wednesday's Serie A encounter against Sassuolo and he was subsequently replaced by Juan Jesus in the 80th minute.

The game ended in a 2-2 draw but Napoli were forced to make three changes due to injuries, which include Fabian Ruiz and Lorenzo Insigne.

On Thursday, Koulibaly went for a medical examination which revealed that he will be on the sidelines for at least three to four weeks.

His injury update comes as a worry for Luciano Spalletti as the 30-year-old is a regular fixture in his team this season, with 19 appearances across all competitions.

Koulibaly now joins Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen and Cameroon midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa on the growing injury list in Naples.

After picking up a point at the Mapei Stadium - Citta del Tricolore, Spalletti rued the absence of his key men in the closing stages of the game.

"Unfortunately we lost Fabian and Insigne, as well as Koulibaly. Three players who give the team security and tranquillity. This weighed on the progress of the match,” Spalletti said via the club’s website.

Napoli still lead the Serie A table with 36 points after 15 matches, a point above second-placed AC Milan.

They have a crucial league game against Atalanta at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Saturday before they host Leicester City for a must-win group fixture in the Europa League on December 9.

The same injury worry goes for the Senegal national team where Koulibaly wears the captain’s armband as they prepare for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations that will begin in Cameroon on January 9.

The Teranga Lions finished as runners-up in the 2019 edition and they have been placed with Zimbabwe, Guinea and Malawi in Group B, with the first game scheduled for January 10.