Napoli have been handed a huge blow with regard to the presence of rising star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for the top-of-the-table clash against Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo. The Georgian, nicknamed ‘Kvaradona’, for his silky skills by the Partenopei fans will miss the crucial clash due to acute low back pain.
He will not be traveling with the team to the north of Italy, making it just the second match he will be missing for Napoli since arriving in the summer from Dinamo Batumi, and the first one via injury.
Kvaratskhelia was benched for the UEFA Champions League clash against Rangers. Napoli won 3-0 without the Georgian in that encounter, but will sorely miss his presence upfront against a watertight La Dea defence.
Napoli sit five points above Atalanta at the top of the Serie A table, still unbeaten in the league and enroute a first Scudetto in 33 years.
The Bergamo outfit will garner hope of inflicting the Partenopei’s first defeat in the league after the southerners lost their first match this term against Liverpool midweek. Atalanta have earned double the number of wins than Napoli in the last seven head-to-head matches – winning 4:2.
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