When Giovanni Di Lorenzo Could Be Back As Napoli Captain Confirms Surgery After ‘Unbearable’ Pain
Giovanni Di Lorenzo has decided to fix a long-standing foot problem as he recovers from a foot injury.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 04 February 2026
Giovanni Di Lorenzo will undergo foot surgery as he continues to recover from a separate injury, Napoli have confirmed.
Napoli said the decision was taken by mutual agreement and is linked to the time needed to recover from his left knee injury.
Di Lorenzo suffered the injury in the win over Fiorentina on January 31. Tests showed a second-degree sprain to his left knee.
With that knee issue already ruling him out, Napoli have chosen to fix a pre-existing foot problem during the same lay-off.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo and why Napoli chose surgery now
Giovanni Di Lorenzo was carried off on a stretcher during the Fiorentina match. And there were serious fears that he had suffered an ACL rupture.
However, tests showed that the Napoli captain had suffered a sprain. While a lengthy layoff is on the cards, it’s not as bad as an ACL injury.
The knee sprain will keep Di Lorenzo out for about a month and a half, according to Calciomercato.
Meanwhile, the surgery Di Lorenzo has undergone on his left foot is not expected to extend his recovery time.
“Given the time required for a full recovery from his left knee injury, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, in agreement with the club, will undergo surgery on his left foot in the next few hours to resolve a previous issue,” Napoli wrote on Wednesday afternoon.
What Giovanni Di Lorenzo has told Napoli fans on social media
Giovanni Di Lorenzo has also taken to social media to confirm his foot surgery.
He explained to fans how he has had an underlying foot problem over the past few months.
Di Lorenzo wanted to be available for Napoli, so he decided to play through the “unbearable” pain.
Since he is now recovering from a knee injury, he has opted to also tackle the foot issue.
The Italian then pledged to do all he can to get back to action as soon as possible.
“Thank you all for the love you’ve shown me these days,” Di Lorenzo wrote on Instagram.
“After the terrible knee movement I thought the worst, the examinations later showed significant trauma but luckily the cruciate held.
View this post on Instagram
“Not everyone knows it, but for the last six months I’ve been playing with a foot problem that requires surgery.
“But not wanting to leave the team in a difficult time I decided to play on it, and also making matters worse.
“The situation and pain have become unbearable for me and given the forced stop for the knee, we decided to intervene on the foot.
“I will do my best to get back as soon as possible and continue to defend our beloved jersey in the best possible condition. Your captain!”
In other news, Napoli have stepped up contract talks with Scott McTominay to stave off Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
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