By failing to add any significant depth to their squad this January transfer window Napoli’s Scudetto credentials will be called into serious question with Juventus breathing down their necks.
There is little validity in questioning that the Partenopei have been Italy’s best team so far this season and that is reflected in the Serie A table but La Vecchia Signora’s strength beyond their starting XI will allow them to compete until the very end domestically as well as mounting a serious challenge in Europe.
Maurizio Sarri’s side play some eye-catching football and on their day they are capable of brushing aside almost anybody in Italy’s top flight, but an inability to rotate and keep key players fresh could come back to haunt them come May.
When fit, the attacking trio of Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon all start but with Arkadiusz Milik’s continued injury concerns and Adam Ounas’ slow integration to Italian football there are no reliable alternatives to stand in when required.
The winter break has invigorated the Belgian who has rediscovered his touch in front of goal but, given their Europa League commitments, he and his strike partners could struggle for fitness over the coming months.
Napoli’s pursuit of Simone Verdi and Matteo Politano suggests recognition of an issue and their failure to land either target is problematic.
Marek Hamsik is another whose fitness gives cause for concern. The iconic captain struggles to play more than 70 minutes and is consistently substituted not long after the hour mark. Despite his obvious struggles, he has started in 21 of the 22 Serie A rounds this season and appeared as a substitute in the other.
As well as the rotational issues, Sarri has already expressed concern with the fixture list, claiming that because Juventus will regularly play before Napoli from here on in, the Bianconeri have the advantage of putting pressure on the Partenopei.
“This doesn’t make any sense and it’s a huge mistake,” Sarri said after his side opened round 21 with a win away to Atalanta, playing the day before Juve’s game against Genoa, which they in turn won.
“It is partly due to the fact that on a couple of occasions Juventus need to play earlier because of the Champions League, and we sometimes need to play on a Monday because of the Europa League.”
With Sarri seemingly getting his excuses in early, Massimiliano Allegri has been piling the pressure onto the leaders, insisting that his blood-thirsty predators are waiting for any slight slip to pounce upon.
“Our goal is to remain in the hunt for three different competitions,” he told Premium Sport in December. “The league will be decided in the final matches.
“Napoli earned 99 points in 2017 which is something special. They are an important adversary but we are there and we are waiting for a slip-up.
“There is no hurry. We still have 19 matches remaining.”
Juventus have been here before; they know what it takes to win a title and nerves will not be a factor as they seek a seventh successive Scudetto. For Napoli, however, mental and physical fatigue will eventually hit and their inability to rotate could well be the reason they eventually come up short.
