Can Napoli cope without Sekulović?
Napoli's Serbian centre-back Ljubomir Sekulović faces a month out with a double hernia, a bitter blow for the Partenopei's title chase.
Twenty-seven. That is the number of days Napoli expect to be without Ljubomir Sekulović, and it could feel like an eternity for a side with designs on the scudetto.
The Serbian centre-back, a cornerstone of the Partenopei back line since his £12.5m arrival from CFR Cluj in 2059, felt a familiar twinge in the closing stages of the match on 29 November. Scans have now confirmed a double hernia – an injury that is as painful as it is inconvenient.
Napoli's medical staff have pencilled in a return around 26 December, which means Sekulović will miss five crucial fixtures. For a club that prides itself on defensive solidity, the timing could hardly be worse.
This season, the 32-year-old has been a model of consistency, appearing in 15 games and even chipping in with a goal. His leadership and reading of the game are not easily replaced.
One need only glance at his CV to understand what Napoli lose. Four clubs, 498 appearances, 91 caps for Serbia. Yet football is a fickle beast, and the game does not wait for hernias to heal.
The question on every Napoli fan's lips is simple: who steps into the breach? The club's depth at centre-back will be tested like never before.
There is no sugar-coating this. A double hernia is a nagging, persistent injury. Rushing a player back too soon risks recurrence, and at 32, Sekulović is no longer a spring chicken.
Napoli's season hangs in the balance. The next five games could define their campaign. Without their defensive rock, the Partenopei must find another way.
Serbian stoicism will only get them so far.