Allegri: ‘I was hurt after Fiorentina, our players play for longer than in the Premier League’

NAPLES, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 13: Massimiliano Allegri SSC Napoli head coach during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Bologna FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on September 13, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Massimiliano Allegri has explained why he was quite so worked up after his side’s 1-1 draw against Fiorentina just before the international break and has come up with an interesting theory as to why the Partenopei have been struggling so much with injuries in the early stages of the 2026-27 season: ‘Players in Europe end up playing an extra six or seven games over the course of the season’. 

Allegri on Fiorentina outburst, Frosinone preview and Napoli’s injury pile-up

Napoli are back in Serie A action at home against Frosinone at 19.45 BST on Saturday evening after the extra-long September-October international break. 

The international break has not been particularly kind to Allegri, who was already struggling with an injury pile-up and has now lost Antonio Vergara and Costantino Favasuli for several weeks each. Mathias Olivera was also injured while on international duty with Uruguay.

However, Allegri was able to confirm during his pre-match press conference that Scott McTominay will be available to feature off the bench following his return to action after a minor heart procedure in September. 

“The news is that McTominay will be called up and we will have him available for at least 20-30 minutes,” Allegri confirmed (via TMW).

“Right now, we’ve lost Vergara and Favasuli for a longer period, but Olivera should be okay within a week. Anguissa is recovering. We’ve got Marianucci coming back in as well as Badiashile, who has come on a lot, we’ve also got Marin, so I’m not worried.” 

“We’re facing a team like Frosinone, who are doing really well. They run, they have a lot of technique, but tomorrow we will have to bring home the victory while also preparing for Villarreal as well. It’s the start of an important month. We’ll get McTominay back, otherwise, the rest will be back a bit later and after that, we will no longer have excuses.”

Allegri was asked for his thoughts on Rasmus Hojlund and Kevin De Bruyne, who scored five goals between them for their national sides over the last fortnight. 

“They’ve come back the same as when they left. Hojlund played five games, not all of them for 90 minutes and scored two goals. If he scored two goals every four or five games, he’d end the season on 16-18. 

“De Bruyne has also had some good games, he’s also been scoring some goals for his national team, like he did against Genoa.” 

And on the physical condition of the rest of his squad, Allegri added: “Lobotka and Gilmour are also doing well. It’s normal for them to play four games, De Bruyne one less, so aside from Kevin, the rest are quite young and have ways to recover. 

“We’ll be ready to play tomorrow night and then there will be some changes. Neres and Lang are doing well, Spinazzola is back, Politano has been working hard. But the most important thing is to get a result.”

Many supporters have complained about the length of the three-week international break that started in mid-September, but Allegri was asked if this has been a useful opportunity to work on certain tactical ideas with the players that stayed behind during the break. 

“We’ll see tomorrow night, it helps if you get a result!,” Allegri laughed. “We worked with those we had available, we played two friendlies, one against Avellino and one internally to give us a bit of conditioning and to let those who have had fewer opportunities play.”

Allegri went on to explain why he was quite so frustrated after his side’s 1-1 draw against Fiorentina before the international break. 

“I always criticise myself, I am a self-critical person. I’ve made mistakes in the past and I will make mistakes in this job. Even when we win I can still make mistakes, but many don’t understand that. The result is the only thing that fixes it. 

“I was in a lot of pain in Florence because, if I have to criticise one thing, the team has not yet understood the importance of certain moments in the game. It’s not a technical or a tactical issue, it’s the other stuff without which we will struggle to bring home results.”

When asked about Napoli’s injury pile-up in the early stages of the 2026-27 season, Allegri suggested that the length of matches in Italy compared to certain other leagues in Europe, has not helped. 

“I’m not very fond of data, but thanks to my [Daniele] Orsato, we do have some evidence. In terms of actual play, the Premier League has been shortened, and those six or so minutes multiplied over 50 or 60 games means that players in Europe end up playing an extra six or seven games over the course of a season. We need to reflect on this.”