Conte: ‘Napoli want to win deservedly, Lukaku needs patience’
Antonio Conte says that he wants Napoli to win and to deserve it when they face Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final on Thursday night and has provided fitness updates on the recently-returned Stanislav Lobotka and Romelu Lukaku.
The Partenopei will take on Milan in the first of the Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals on Thursday night. Inter and Bologna will then face off on Thursday evening and the winners of those two ties will go on to meet in the Supercoppa Italiana final on Monday.
Click here to read the Football Italia guide to the Supercoppa Italiana.
Conte: ‘Lobotka is ready to play, Lukaku needs patience’
This is, of course, the first opportunity for silverware in 2025-26, but it is also an opportunity for Napoli to get back to winning ways following a 1-0 Serie A loss against Udinese and a 2-0 defeat by Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League over the last week.
“Lots of different situations come up throughout the year. We’re coming from five wins and now two defeats. We’ve had different moments in each. The important thing is to work hard, with seriousness, desire, determination and the right enthusiasm,” Conte said during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
“We have to manage victory and defeat in a similar way. Wins can bring you confidence, and in defeat, you have to look at the ‘whys’. You have to analyse everything well. You have to be good at managing everything and going through your work, especially when you play every three days.”
Conte confirmed that Lobotka will be available to play after his return off the bench against Udinese. Lukaku is also back in training with the first-team group, but given that it has been 125 days since the injury he picked up on August 14, it is unlikely that he starts in the Supercoppa.
Napoli’s other midfield injuries – to Kevin De Bruyne, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Billy Gilmour 0 have not cleared up either, so the Partenopei are still fairly short on options in the middle of the park.
“Lobo played for half an hour in Udinese. The problem he had wasn’t too serious, it was a minor issue that has now been resolved. He’s ready to play,” Conte said.
“It’s not that he changes everything though. The natural midfielders we have available are him and McTominay. We have Elmas as well, who’s adapted well, but we have to respect the players’ characteristics.”
And on Lukaku, he added: “Romelu has no minutes in his legs. We have to have patience and wait for the right moment. The fact that he is back in the group is really important because he’s someone who has a lot of weight in the dressing room.
“We will have to be patient and see the results of physical tests to understand when he can return without having the slightest danger of having to stop again.”
This is Conte’s first involvement in the Supercoppa Italiana since it became a four-team mini-tournament, so, what does he make of the format?
“It’s a great experience for me and the players. It’s my first time, we all want to do well, give everything and hope to stay here until Monday, but that all comes down to tomorrow’s game. May the best team win.”
And on the Napoli fans who he’s seen out in Riyadh, Conte said: “Seeing Napoli fans here is great. The more the club gets to play abroad, the bigger your name and fanbase becomes. Fans start supporting teams based on victories, so we try to be attractive. We’re really happy to see Napoli fans here.”
And, lastly, on the challenge that awaits him against Milan, Conte said: “We’re talking about a club with great tradition, with great players and great coaches. Everyone has that desire to test themselves in these sorts of matches and see what level we’re at.
“This type of game, with a trophy on the line, has to bring an emotional boost for you to give your best. Everyone wants to win. We want to win and do it deservedly.”