Romelu Lukaku Returns To Napoli Squad For Copenhagen Trip – But He Could Seal Turkey Move
The striker has not played since suffering a serious injury in pre-season.
Romelu Lukaku will return to Napoli’s squad for their Champions League trip to Copenhagen.
Romelu Lukaku Back In Training After Lengthy Lay-Off
Lukaku was spotted taking part in open training on Monday morning and is available for selection, five months after sustaining a serious thigh problem against Olympiacos during pre-season.
According to Tuttomercato, he is expected to be included on Antonio Conte’s travelling roster – a significant boost for the Partenopei just when they needed him the most.
The striker had also jetted out for the Supercoppa Italiana in Saudi Arabia last month. However, despite being included in the matchday group for both the semi-final and final, he did not make an appearance from the bench.
Napoli were reluctant to rush him back too soon to avoid another fitness setback, but now deem him ready.
His comeback is timely, with Conte painfully short on options in the face of a worsening injury crisis.
David Neres will miss out in Denmark due to an ankle problem, having been forced to sit out against Sassuolo.
Winger Matteo Politano and centre-back Amir Rrahmani are expected to be lengthy absentees, and will almost certainly not be available against Copenhagen, Juventus and Chelsea.
Both players were forced off at the weekend and underwent medical tests.
Rrahmani was found to have strained his left gluteus maximus and will miss between 10 and 15 days. Meanwhile, Politano’s more serious right thigh issue will keep him out for around a month.
Corriere dello Sport discovered that Napoli players have missed a grand total of 153 matches already this season, when all individual cases are added together. Lukaku had led the way after being absent for 28 of them.
Kevin De Bruyne could well catch him up over the coming weeks, having missed 19.
Combined, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour and Alex Meret have sat out 50 games to date.
🛑 LIVE DA CASTELVOLTURNO – Sono iniziati i 15’ aperti alla stampa al centro sportivo del #Napoli. Romelu #Lukaku si sta allenando con il gruppo. pic.twitter.com/8HYS6sPHge
— Carlo Gioia (@carlo_gioiaa) January 19, 2026
Romelu Lukaku Could Move To Turkey
Despite his return to the fold, Lukaku’s future at Napoli is far from decided.
According to Sporx, Besiktas view the Belgian frontman as a possible replacement for Tammy Abraham.
Abraham has attracted interest from Premier League duo Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, and could move on.
Napoli are reluctant to let Lukaku leave, but an assessment of his status under Conte will be made in the summer. For now, they hold the cards, with his contract not set to run down until June 2027.
Besiktas do, however, hold concerns over his fitness and requested a report before deciding whether to swoop.
Dan Davis
Dan is an experienced sports journalist and part-time lecturer. An expert on Serie A and Italian football, he has produced content for the likes of the Daily Mail, Reach PLC, GiveMeSport, FourFourTwo and GRV Media. While Channel 4's iconic Football Italia was a bit before his time, the nostalgia - and pastries - fuelled his love of all things Calcio.
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