Kevin De Bruyne admits Romelu Lukaku is ‘not in a good situation’ but feels that whatever happens at Napoli ‘gets amplified.’
Belgium star De Bruyne commented on the latest incident involving his compatriot and Napoli teammate Lukaku during a press conference on Saturday.
De Bruyne comments on Lukaku’s Napoli row
Lukaku has remained in Belgium without Napoli’s consent as he aims to train individually to regain full fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The Partenopei are furious with the 32-year-old and will freeze him out of the team if he fails to return to the club’s training centre by next Tuesday.
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia sided with Lukaku and said he hopes the striker will get more playing time at Napoli after the break.
“There’s always a lot of noise around Napoli. If something happens, it gets amplified. I don’t know the details or what exactly happened,” De Bruyne added, via Gazzetta, while on Belgium international duty.
“But it’s not a good situation for Romelu. There was a long-lasting injury, and I just hope he returns as soon as possible.”
Lukaku is currently in Antwerp, training at the same clinic where De Bruyne was treated for a high-degree muscle injury over the last few months.
De Bruyne has recently returned to action for the Partenopei, while Lukaku has only made seven appearances across all competitions, playing barely 60 minutes and scoring one goal.
“Romelu and I followed a similar path after our injuries. I did a full rehabilitation [in Belgium], Romelu partially in Antwerp and partially in Naples,” concluded De Bruyne.
“When there are two different views, it’s hard to work together. There have been differences, and this is not ideal if you aim to get back in shape.”
