Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to remain sidelined against Empoli

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won’t feature in Napoli’s midweek fixture against Empoli, as the acute lower back pain that kept him sidelined against Atalanta still troubles him. 

With the World Cup approaching quickly, Serie A will have a full midweek round. Napoli remained undefeated in Serie A against Atalanta on Saturday, but the next challenge is already knocking on the door. Empoli will visit the Maradona tomorrow and they won’t have to deal with Kvaratskhelia, according to Sky Italia. Because the games are following each other up quickly now, the Georgian sensation has not yet had the time to recover from his back pain. 

It goes without saying that missing Kvaratskhelia again is a big deal for Napoli, as the talisman already has 6 goals and 5 assists in 12 Serie A matches. Against Atalanta, Eljif Elmas was trusted by Spalletti to replace Kvaratskhelia. Although the North Macedonian scored the winning goal at the Gewiss Stadium, it is expected that Giacomo Raspadori will start instead against Empoli. 

Jurre van Wanrooij | GIFN