Romelu Lukaku withdrew from international duty due to an ailment but stayed in Belgium to rehab rather than reporting back to Napoli, severely irritating his club. It announced that it is evaluating disciplinary actions, up to the exclusion from the squad.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the striker is lamenting a hip inflammation, but there was no trace of it beforehand. Coach Rudi Garcia hadn’t mentioned after he bowed out. The marksman trusts his own and the national team’s staff more than the Azzurri’s. He believes that his return from a previous major thigh injury wasn’t handled properly.
Lukaku has logged just 64 minutes in a month or so since being cleared, which has contributed to the friction with Napoli. The player could be back in Campania next week following the Milan clash. He could get away with a fine if he apologized and explained his reasoning, but he seriously risks being frozen out. The officials expected more professionalism, given his status and wages.
As for the future, the Partenopei were already leaning toward parting ways, but this incident might as well tip the scales. However, they are reluctant to just release him. It’d be a net loss on the balance sheet, even though they’d get rid of his large salary that way. The hierarchy hopes he gets offers from Saudi Arabia or Anderlecht.
Things already looked fishy before the situation escalated. A truce is likely down the line, but it’s hard to imagine they’ll mend fences to the point that he’ll stay next season. They’ll be lucky if they manage to move on without taking a bath.
