Wantaway Napoli midfield Fabian Ruiz has been ruled out of the Partenopei’s Serie A opener against Hellas Verona due to injury. As per Calciomercato, the Spaniard has trained separately from the rest of the team and won’t be available for selection.
Ruiz’s absence from the matchday squad comes amid growing speculation linking him with a move away from Napoli. With less than a year left to run on his current contract at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, the 26-year-old is said to be keen on leaving southern Italy.
Several top foreign clubs, including Manchester United and Real Madrid, have registered an interest in the former Real Betis man. Juventus are also in the mix as head coach Massimiliano Allegri wants to revamp his midfield options. But Napoli chief Aurelio De Laurentiis is unwilling to sell his prized asset.
His mind could change after Ruiz walked away from extension talks. The in-demand playmaker wants to embark on a new experience away from Napoli. That could force De Laurentiis to soften his stance and potentially sanction another high-profile departure this summer.
It’s convenient that Ruiz cannot feature on the opening weekend now that Juventus are ready to accelerate their effort to take him to Turin. There is not much Napoli can do to prevent their standout performer from exiting the club in the near future.
De Laurentiis would rather lose Ruiz to a non-Serie A side, but Juventus appear to be the Spanish midfielder’s likeliest landing spot. Regardless of his next destination, his absence from Monday’s clash against Verona will only amplify Luciano Spalletti’s headache.
After losing numerous long-serving first-team members over the summer, Napoli can ill-afford to part with another senior star. These are not the best times to be a Partenopei fan.