Romelu Lukaku’s agent, Federico Pastorello, confirms the Belgian striker will resume training with his Napoli teammates today, meeting with Antonio Conte: ‘The coach will decide what to do.’
Belgium international Lukaku has returned to Naples after spending over one month in Antwerp, Belgium, for individual training sessions to regain full fitness.
Lukaku refused to return to Naples during the international break in March, remaining in Belgium without the club’s consent.
VERONA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 28: Romelu Lukaku of SSC Napoli celebrates after scoring his team second goal during the Serie A match between Hellas Verona FC and SSC Napoli at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on February 28, 2026 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
He was, therefore, fined and frozen out of the team. He did return to Naples for just one day towards the end of April to meet club directors with his agent, Pastorello.
“I know both [Lukaku and Conte] really well, and they both live football with great passion,” Pastorello told DAZN Belgium via TMW.
NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 10: Romelu Lukaku of SSC Napoli reacts after missing a penalty in the penalty shootout during the Coppa Italia match between SSC Napoli and Como 1907 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 10, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
“That was not the right moment for a meeting, but they’ll do it today.”
Lukaku has now returned to Napoli’s training centre, his agent confirmed.
“Lukaku is back to Napoli, as expected, and he’ll resume training with the team now that he’s in better shape. Then the coach will decide what to do with Romelu,” Pastorello said.
Lukaku suffered a severe muscle injury at the beginning of the season, which forced him to the sidelines in the first part of the campaign.
The Belgian international, 32, has played only 64 minutes across all competitions this season, scoring one goal.
His contract at the Stadio Maradona runs out in June 2027.
Italian transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà reports that Lazio coach Sarri is the leading candidate for the Napoli job next season if Conte leaves.
The Partenopei boss is under contract at the Stadio Maradona, but his future at the club will be determined in the coming weeks, with a meeting expected between the Italian tactician and the Napoli management, including President Aurelio De Laurentiis.
NAPLES, ITALY – APRIL 18: Maurizio Sarri SS Lazio head coach greets Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach before the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and SS Lazio at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 18, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Pedullà writes on X that “confirmations are coming from all sides” that Sarri is Napoli’s “top name” for next season if the club and Conte decide to part ways.
Sarri returned to Lazio last summer but has had a troubled season at the Stadio Olimpico, mostly due to a summer transfer embargo that prevented the Biancocelesti from making new signings for the first part of the campaign.
Sarri, 67, already spent three seasons at Napoli, from 2015 to 2018.
He won 98 of 148 games in charge of the Partenopei, failing to win the Scudetto in his final season at the club despite collecting 91 points.
Jamie Carragher has ruled out Antonio Conte as a candidate to become the next Chelsea manager while identifying Como head coach Cesc Fabregas as one of the most exciting emerging coaches in football, as the Blues search for a permanent successor to interim manager Callum McFarlane.
According to comments made on Sky Sports, via the Standard, Carragher was unequivocal about several names on the shortlist.
“You can probably rule out the bottom three, Mourinho, Lampard and Conte,” he said. “They’ve all managed Chelsea before, so I don’t see that. Fabregas does look like right now one of the new hot things in football, doing really well. Filipe Luis is doing really well, obviously had a spell at Chelsea as a player.”
NAPLES, ITALY – JANUARY 28: Antonio Conte, Head Coach of SSC Napoli, reacts from the technical area during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between SSC Napoli and Chelsea FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on January 28, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)
Carragher says Chelsea is ‘broken’ as Como boss Fabregas emerges amongst leading candidates
Carragher reserved particular praise for Andoni Iraola before returning to the broader problem facing any incoming manager, a club he believes has been fundamentally damaged by its ownership.
“It’s shocking, and it comes from the top,” he said. “There are five or six really top players on that pitch and they’ve just been beaten by Nottingham Forest’s B team. Less than 12 months ago they were taking PSG to the cleaners. This football club is broken.”
On the challenge of attracting players, he added: “If I were a young player, why would I sign for Chelsea? They’d give me 12 months and if I wasn’t amazing, they’d buy another player in my place. How do you build a connection between players, fans and staff? It’s not there.”
The context makes Fabregas’s candidacy all the more intriguing. The former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder has impressed enormously in his first adventure as a top-flight manager, guiding Como to the brink of European qualification.
His connection to Chelsea, where he spent two seasons as a player, adds another layer to what would be a compelling appointment, and Carragher’s endorsement will only strengthen his standing as a frontrunner.
The race for Champions League qualification could go down to the wire, as there are now only five points separating Milan, Juventus, Roma and Como in the Serie A table.
The top four go into the Champions League from Serie A, and while Inter are guaranteed their spot in first place and Napoli have a fairly healthy lead, the other two are going to be very tight.
SASSUOLO, ITALY – APRIL 17: Nico Paz of Como 1907 looks on during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and Como 1907 at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on April 17, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
The Week 35 fixtures have completely transformed the situation, as Milan lost to Sassuolo, while Juventus, Napoli and Como all played stalemates.
Napoli now have 70 points, Milan 67, Juventus 65, Roma 64, and Como 62.
Let’s take a look at the remaining Serie A fixtures for what could be a battle to the end.
Serie A fixtures
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 26: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, looks on prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Juventus FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 26, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Cesc Fabregas learned so much from the coaches he worked with, crediting Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, but above all Arsene Wenger. ‘Conte was a big shock.’
The Como coach is only 39 years old and hung up his boots in 2023, going straight into management with the Italian club in Serie B.
In Calcio, there is a battle between so-called Giochisti and Risultatisti, those who want to focus on playing good football, and those who say the result is all that truly matters. He is firmly in the first camp.
Fabregas not just about the result
COMO, ITALY – MAY 02: SSC Como 1907 coach Cesc Fabregas looks on during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and SSC Napoli at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on May 02, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
“I coach the way that I feel. I love the game. If I coach only to get results, I will not do it. I don’t have the necessity to do it,” Fabregas told Telegraph Sport.
“I do it because of the passion and because I want to do it my way. You know, of course, you need to adapt, depending on the group of players that you have.
“But, at the end of the day, you have some beliefs. I could not coach long ball, second ball. Why? Because you need to believe in what you do. You can win in any way, as long as you convince the players and you convince everyone that this is the right way.
“But I have my beliefs. If you want to play long ball, second ball, I’m sorry I’m not your guy, because I don’t feel it. So I will not be able to transmit the fire.”
He is trying to adapt all that he learned over 20 years as a player and brings that to this new stage of his career, trying also to avoid the errors he witnessed in the past.
That came from a little black book he started when playing for Arsenal, updating throughout his time at various clubs.
COMO, ITALY – AUGUST 24: Como 1907 coach Cesc Fabregas looks on during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and SS Lazio at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on August 24, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
“I started the book when I was 22 or 23, before going to Barcelona, and then I just kept adding to it during my career,” continued Fabregas.
“I referred back to it at the beginning because everything was new. But now, with my experience, every time I’m more confident about what I do. If I’m unsure about something, I could sneak a look and pick a little bit of it, but not so often now.
“The biggest chapters are probably about Arsene, because everything was new, and Conte, because, for me, he was a big shock. Everything was different.”
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte (L) greets player Cesc Fabregas (R) at the end of the English Premier League soccer match Chelsea vs Swansea at Stamford Bridge, London, Britain, 25 February 2017. EPA/WILL OLIVER EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications
Conte and Fabregas met at the weekend in a 0-0 Serie A draw between Como and Napoli, having worked together for two years at Chelsea.
“It was the first time someone was telling me where I need to pass the ball. The way he dealt with things, he was very, very tough in certain things. So he made me see a lot of new things and also he learned to trust me.”
The coach he still keeps in touch with the most is Wenger from the early days at Arsenal, who along with Thierry Henry and David Dien have been in the stands to cheer on Como.
“Arsene sends me messages after games, even when we lose or when we win after good performances. He gives me a lot of courage,” concluded Fabregas.
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