Kevin De Bruyne May Be Absent Until Next Year After Thigh Injury

Kevin De Bruyne will miss quite a long time after Napoli beat Inter Milan (Instagram/@officialssscnapoli).

JAKARTA - Napoli's concern is evident by the news that Kevin De Bruyne has suffered a severe injury to his thigh muscle and will be out for several months.

De Bruyne immediately stood up and grabbed the back of his right thigh after executing a penalty that led Napoli to a 3-1 win over Inter Milan on Saturday, October 25, 2025.

The former Manchester City midfielder looked desperate and had to be helped off the pitch by two medical staff. He was then seen sitting on the bench with his thigh tightly wrapped and crewed beside him.

"After the injury that occurred during the match against Inter Milan, Kevin De Bruyne underwent an instrumental test at Pineta Grande Hospital and the results showed a high level lesion on the femoralis bisep in his right thigh."

"The player has started the rehabilitation process," Napoli said in a statement on Monday, October 27, 2025, local time.

The Serie A team has no indication of when De Bruyne is expected to return. However, the injury is similar to that of his team-mates in Napoli and Belgium, Romelu Lukaku, in a pre-season friendly. Lukaku is likely to return in January 2026.

Meanwhile, the penalty saw De Bruyne's total goal four in eight Serie A matches. The penalty also helped Napoli climb to the top of the table, but could have cost a fortune.

Midfielder Stanislav Lobotka is also injured, while Frank Anguissa will strengthen Cameroon in the Africa Cup of Nations between December 2025 and January 2026.

This news will also be a blow for Belgium, which will face a crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier next month. De Bruyne has scored six goals in his last five games for his country.