Napoli skipper Di Lorenzo suffers knee sprain, avoids long injury layoff

Napoli have escaped losing another player to a long injury layoff after the Serie A champions announced on Sunday that captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo had suffered a knee sprain.

Di Lorenzo was stretchered off in agony during Napoli's 2-1 win over Fiorentina on Saturday and coach Antonio Conte feared ligament damage.

But Napoli said that following tests carried out on Sunday the 32-year-old had been diagnosed with a "grade two sprain in his left knee", an injury which Italian media report will keep him out of action for around a month.

That is better news than anticipated for Napoli who have been hit by a series of injuries to key players which have hampered their league title defence, with the southern Italians trailing leaders Inter Milan by six points having played one more game.

Di Lorenzo should also be back in action in time for Italy's World Cup play-off semifinal against Northern Ireland on March 26, with a final away against either Bosnia and Herzegovina or Wales awaiting the winners.