Napoli are concerned about Kevin De Bruyne’s fitness after the midfielder took a painkiller for an ankle problem immediately after scoring for Belgium against Turkiye.
De Bruyne is expected to start again when Belgium face Italy on Sunday, despite appearing to be affected by the injury during Thursday’s match.
The Napoli player scored Belgium’s equaliser in Turkiye, cancelling out Arda Guler’s opening free-kick. Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere then completed the comeback by scoring the goal that gave Belgium a 2-1 victory.
De Bruyne’s response to his goal attracted attention. Rather than celebrating, the 35-year-old shook his head and went directly to the bench, where he was seen taking a tablet.
Speaking to HLN after the match, De Bruyne said he had not been feeling well in recent weeks and had been unable to perform at full capacity.
“I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather these last few weeks and wasn’t getting through it 100 per cent,” he said.
“I’ve travelled a lot over the last 12 days and stayed in many hotels. The most important thing is that I can help and do my job.”
The midfielder had already suffered an ankle sprain during Napoli’s 2-0 defeat by Juventus on November 1. He was taken off at half-time in that match, although he returned to the starting line-up for the following Serie A fixture against Lazio on November 8.
His need for further pain relief while away with Belgium suggests the ankle remains a problem, creating concern for Napoli as De Bruyne prepares for another international appearance.
Belgium coach Mark van Bommel confirmed the injury was behind his decision to substitute De Bruyne and stressed the importance of protecting the player’s ankle.
“That is why I substituted him, that ankle needs to stay in good shape,” van Bommel said.
“We have another match on Sunday. As far as I’m concerned, he can celebrate like that every time he scores.”
Belgium must defeat Italy to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Nations League quarter-finals. They are currently third in the group, behind Italy and France.
A further appearance for De Bruyne against Italy would leave Napoli monitoring the situation closely, particularly if the ankle continues to cause discomfort.
