As things stand, Napoli will not have Kalidou Koulibaly, Victor Osimhen, and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa for the entire month of January. The trio will take part in the African Cup of Nations, missing three of four games. Backup Adam Ounas could play in it too.
The Partenopei are searching for remedies. Lawyer Mattia Grassani addressed the situation to Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli: “The club is not leaving any stone unturned to open a dialogue with the international organizations. They would suffer the harshest consequences from this cup.”
“We could try to shorten the tournament or agree to a sort of player rotation with the federations. It is an issue that does not involve just Napoli but several clubs across Europe. We are doing everything in our power, but it is challenging.”
AFCON will kick off on January 9th and end on February 6th. The teams will gather a few days in advance. Therefore, players will miss the first Serie A round after the Winter break. Napoli will face Juventus away on that occasion.
On top of the three Partenopei, Franck Kessié, Ismael Bennacer, Wilfried Singo, Musa Barrow, and a few other key contributors will participate. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli and the other outfits wish to have them available for the January 6th matchday by delaying their departure. Instead, it is improbable they will be temporarily sent back during the competition. They will skip three or four fixtures depending on how their sides fare. On the other hand, there will be an unprecedented break in the final week of January this season.