Napoli’s Sporting Director Mauro Meluso has attributed the team’s 3-0 defeat against Torino on Sunday to the absence of key players, including Victor Osimhen and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who are currently with their respective national teams for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Without the influential duo, Napoli appeared toothless on the field, and Meluso expressed his belief that the outcome might have been different if Osimhen and Anguissa had been available.

Speaking to DAZN in the post-match, Meluso acknowledged the negative impact of injuries and player absences, stating, “We also had negative situations, injuries, the absence of Osimhen, but we don’t want to make excuses and justifications.”

“We’re very sorry; the team is unrecognizable, and we were talking about making immediate corrections to stimulate the team and try to return to a normality that doesn’t exist even for many injured players and those participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.”

The Partenopei find themselves in a challenging situation, losing five of their last eight games in the Serie A during the 2023/2024 campaign.