Kevin De Bruyne will lead Napoli's Serie A title defence on Saturday when he makes his full debut at promoted Sassuolo, but the champions head into the new season rocked by a long-term injury to star striker Romelu Lukaku.

Napoli's title defence begins under a cloud with key striker Romelu Lukaku ruled out for an indefinite period ahead of Saturday's Serie A opener at Sassuolo. The 32-year-old suffered a serious thigh injury in a friendly against Olympiacos and may need surgery,

With mere days to go before the start of the 2025-26 Serie A season, Napoli received a big setback with star striker Romelu Lukaku undergoing a medical test following an injury suffered during the friendly match against Olympiacos.