Romelu Lukaku could face disciplinary action from Napoli after failing to report back for training.
Napoli confirmed the situation in an official statement released on Tuesday.
The club revealed that Lukaku did not respond when he was called to return to training with the squad.
“SSC Napoli can confirm that Romelu Lukaku did not respond to today’s call to return to training,” the statement read. “The club reserves the right to consider taking the appropriate disciplinary action.”
Napoli also indicated that Lukaku’s future involvement with the first team could be reviewed.
The statement added that the club would determine ‘whether the player will continue to train with the team for an indefinite period’.
Lukaku had earlier withdrawn from the Belgium squad for friendly matches against the United States and Mexico.
The striker has travelled to Belgium to undergo treatment for a fitness issue. Lukaku later explained his decision in a message posted on Instagram.
“The truth is the last few weeks I wasn’t feeling right physically,” he wrote. “I had it checked while I was in Belgium, and it showed inflammation and liquid on my hip flexor muscle next to my scar tissue.”
The 32-year-old said the problem is linked to a previous injury that affected him earlier in the season.
“Since it is the second problem I’ve had since coming back in early November, I chose to do the rehab in Belgium,” Lukaku added.
Despite the dispute over his absence from training, Lukaku insisted that he remains committed to Napoli.
“I could never turn my back on Napoli,” he said. “There is nothing more I would love to do than play and win for my team.”
The Belgian striker joined Napoli in 2024 after previous spells with Chelsea and Manchester United.
His campaign has been disrupted by injuries, including a serious hamstring problem earlier in the season.
Lukaku has made only seven appearances in all competitions. All of those outings have come from the bench.
Napoli are currently competing near the top of the Serie A table. The club are third in the standings, seven points behind leaders Inter Milan.
However, Lukaku’s absence from training has created an unexpected distraction during a crucial stage of the campaign.
Napoli must now decide whether disciplinary measures are required and how the situation will affect the striker’s role within the squad.
