Napoli defender Marianucci suffers MCL injury
Napoli confirmed 22 year-old centre-back Luca Marianucci suffered a "high-grade" medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury during his club's friendly draw with Celta Vigo.
The Partenopei continued their preparations for their first season under Massimiliano Allegri by drawing 1-1 with the LaLiga side, being pegged back by Ferran Jutgla's goal after Giovanni Di Lorenzo put them in front in the first half.
Allegri selected a strong lineup, with Marianucci – who spent time on loan at Torino last season – coming off the bench to replace Rafa Marin in the 59th minute.
However, the six-foot-four defender had to be taken off 25 minutes later, for Christian Garofolo, after suffering a knee injury.
And the club confirmed that tests had shown a serious MCL issue, which will likely rule Marianucci out for much of the 2026-2027 campaign.
Marianucci made two appearances for Napoli in all competitions last season, then featured 11 times for Torino after joining them on loan in January.
He previously made 24 appearances for Empoli in 2024-2025, before joining the four-time Scudetto winner last year.
Napoli visits Genoa for its Serie A opener on 22 August, with Como the first visitor to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona eight days later.
