Kevin De Bruyne Back in Training After 128 Days Out With Injury

Napoli’s injury concerns eased on Tuesday as Kevin De Bruyne, their marquee midfielder, resumed training after 128 days on the sidelines. The Manchester City legend and Belgian international was spotted at the first-team training at Castel Volturno on Monday. The news was shared by Kevin De Bruyne himself through his Instagram post, posting his smiling picture in the Napoli training kit on Monday.  

De Bruyne made his Napoli Debut on 23 August 2025 in the season opener against Sassuolo, in which he scored a goal in a 2-0 victory. Despite performing well in the early days of his Napoli Career, De Bruyne’s appearances for the club were limited to eight due to a hamstring injury suffered on 25 October 2025 during Napoli’s 3-1 victory against Inter Milan. According to the latest reports, Napoli boss Antonio Conte might include the 34-year-old Belgian in the matchday squad against Torino on 7 March 2026.

Football Italia reported that Napoli fans had responded with numerous comments celebrating his return, noting that the Belgian had scored four goals and provided two assists in 11 competitive matches before sustaining the injury.

Prominent Italian media La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that he had suffered a serious injury to his right thigh biceps that required surgery. After months of rehabilitation in Belgium, his physical condition was said to be better than expected, showing that Kevin De Bruyne had worked well during his recovery with a strong desire to return as soon as possible.

The report added that the possibility of a call-up for Friday was real, but De Bruyne would still have to manage the situation carefully. It also noted that André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Scott McTominay would help give the final approval regarding his availability for the match against Torino.

De Bruyne, often called “Ginger Pele” and one of the greatest players to play in the modern football era, has won six Premier League titles and the Champions League during his stint at Manchester City, and will be hoping to help Napoli to get the next year’s UEFA Champions League spot. Currently Napoli is third in the Serie A, trailing behind Inter and AC Milan, and is 4 and 14 points behind Inter and Milan, respectively.

Napoli was eliminated from the UCL after failing to progress to the round of 16. The reigning Serie A champions finished 30th after losing to Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea. The absence of Kevin De Bruyne impacted the Italian side. The lack of creativity and attacking play in the middle of the park cost them the tournament. De Bruyne’s creativity and line-breaking passes are nothing new to the football world. Now he is back with the team, Antonio Conte expects the team to follow a more attacking-minded play.

Manchester United loanee Rasmus Højlund thrived alongside Kevin De Bruyne, but the midfielder’s absence had a noticeable impact on his form. In the Champions League, Højlund managed just three goals in seven appearances, falling short of his true potential.