Allegri weighs Hojlund rest as Napoli try to steady themselves before Venezia
Massimiliano Allegri plays down his touchline exchange with Kevin De Bruyne and signals a possible rotation up front as Napoli visit a struggling Venezia side under new coach Davide Nicola.
Massimiliano Allegri has indicated that Rasmus Hojlund could be left out of Napoli's starting line-up for Saturday's trip to Venezia, with Lorenzo Lucca in contention to lead the attack instead.
Napoli head to Venezia on the back of a mixed week: a Serie A win over Frosinone followed by a 3-1 Champions League defeat to Villarreal, according to Football Italia. Hojlund has started every match Napoli have played this season, and Allegri suggested that workload is now a factor in his thinking.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, reported by TuttoNapoli via Football Italia, Allegri said he would wait until training to decide between Hojlund and Lucca, adding that Hojlund "needs some rest, or perhaps to come off the bench." He pointed to Lucca's cameo in Spain as encouraging, noting the forward had a blocked shot and generally positive movement after coming on.
Why the Villarreal flashpoint was overstated
Much of the build-up centred on an animated exchange between Allegri and Kevin De Bruyne during the loss to Villarreal, which came as Napoli slipped from a 1-0 lead to trail 2-1. Allegri dismissed any suggestion of a deeper rift, calling it a misunderstanding born of a tense passage of play rather than a sign of friction over De Bruyne's role as a deep-lying playmaker.
He added a wry aside about the language barrier contributing to the confusion in the moment, saying the fix was simple: either he speaks English or De Bruyne speaks Italian. The framing matters because it draws a line between an isolated, emotional in-game moment and any suggestion of a tactical disagreement about where De Bruyne should operate — Allegri chose to characterise it as the former.
That distinction is relevant given how often De Bruyne's positioning has been scrutinised since his move to Naples. A touchline flare-up during a collapse from a winning position is a different problem to a manager and a star midfielder disagreeing on his best role, and Allegri's explanation points toward the first rather than the second.
A pattern of squandered leads Allegri refuses to call a crisis
Napoli have now surrendered points from winning positions on three separate occasions this season, a run that sits alongside defeats in both of their Champions League group matches and a return of just ten points from six Serie A fixtures — modest numbers for a team expected to challenge at the top.
Allegri's response was pointed rather than alarmed. He argued that results alone skew perception in both directions, saying it is just as wrong to assume everything is broken after a loss as it is to assume everything is flawless after a win. His broader point was that Napoli are still early in the season and that fixing recurring issues — managing the ball better in key moments and reacting more calmly to incidents like Matteo Politano's misplaced pass against Villarreal — is a process, not an emergency.
Squad availability should help that process. Allegri confirmed Frank Anguissa, Mathias Olivera and Alisson Becker are back in contention, while David Neres has suffered a fresh injury setback. Napoli's longer-term absentees, Vergara and Favasuli, are progressing but not yet close to returning, and Scott McTominay is among those who need match minutes to rebuild sharpness, something training alone cannot replicate according to Allegri.
Venezia bring their own reset under Nicola
Saturday's fixture also marks a beginning for the hosts. Davide Nicola takes charge of Venezia for the first time after replacing Giovanni Stroppa, who departed following six straight league defeats. Venezia sit without a point in Serie A, a position Allegri said belies the quality of the chances Nicola's side have created, citing his own viewing of their match in Bergamo and the underlying data.
Allegri also credited Nicola's managerial record, referencing his work keeping Crotone in Serie A in what he described as an unlikely survival. The remark framed Venezia not as a straightforward fixture but as opponents capable of punishing Napoli if the same lapses that cost them points against Villarreal and elsewhere this season resurface.
Napoli's task, by Allegri's own description, is less about reinventing their approach than tightening the details: better ball management under pressure, calmer responses to the kind of unexpected moments that have already cost them results, and integrating returning players without disrupting the team's balance. Whether Hojlund starts or watches from the bench, that is the test Venezia represent.