Napoli Forward Romelu Lukaku Will Not Return To Action Until At Least December

The latest Romelu Lukaku injury update has revealed that the Napoli forward is very unlikely to play until December. 

Lukaku led the Azzurri’s scoring charts last season as Antonio Conte’s side went on to win the Scudetto. The Belgian international netted 14 times in 36 Serie A appearances in his debut campaign.

Since the start of 2022-23, Lukaku has represented Inter and Roma as well as Napoli and has scored a total of 49 goals in all competitions for the trio of Italian giants.

Romelu Lukaku’s recovery is progressing as planned. He will return to Naples soon for rehab sessions but isn’t expected back on the pitch before December. [@mattinodinapoli] pic.twitter.com/A73ELNEK6x

— Napoli Zone (@TheNapoliZone) September 7, 2025

Romelu Lukaku Injury Update

The initial Romelu Lukaku injury update from August suggested that the Belgian could miss the next three months of action after picking up a thigh injury during pre-season.

Lukaku suffered a muscle tear whilst taking a shot against Greek champions Olympiacos. He immediately clutched the area and was swiftly substituted by Antonio Conte.

Now, it has been revealed that Lukaku is unlikely to appear in a Napoli shirt before December. The Belgian returned to Brussels last week to receive a check up from a specialist.

Surgery to repair the muscle was mooted but that idea has been quashed as it can extend the recovery time. Therefore, Lukaku will let the injury heal naturally and aim to return for the festive period.

Who Will Napoli Play In December?

As with most of Europe’s elite clubs, December is a hectic month in terms of fixtures. The winter break will not be occurring in Serie A so Romelu Lukaku’s return will be most welcome.

Not only is the league and Coppa Italia in full swing , there is also Champions League soccer to contend with in the run up to Christmas.

As it stands, Napoli will be playing six games across all competitions. The first will come in the Coppa Italia round of 16 (opponent unknown at this stage) on December 3.

The Azzurri will then play Juventus at home four days later before playing Benfica away in the Champions League on December 10.

After that, Antonio Conte’s side will then play Udinese (A), Parma (H) and Cremonese (A). It’s unclear at the time of writing what exact game Lukaku could feature in but Conte will ease him back into the side.

Even if December is considered too soon, January’s early fixtures pit Napoli against Lazio (A), Verona (H) and Inter (A) which may be more realistic targets.

Something that is for sure is Rasmus Hojlund’s importance to the team. The Dane signed a loan deal on deadline day as cover for Lukaku. If he impresses, Lukaku will need to fight for his place back in the starting XI.