Napoli head coach Antonio Conte has expressed disappointment with Romelu Lukaku after the striker failed to make contact during a recent visit to the club's training ground. The 32-year-old Belgian is currently recovering from a hamstring injury in his homeland.
Conte, speaking after Napoli's 4-0 win over Cremonese on Friday, revealed that Lukaku had been at the training ground for clear-the-air talks but did not knock on his door. "I would have expected a greeting, a message or something," Conte said. "In these situations, the coach tries to understand everyone, but no one makes the effort to understand the coach."
The striker's season has been disrupted by a serious hamstring injury sustained in a pre-season friendly in August. He has made only seven appearances, the last of which came in early March. His recovery has been complicated by the death of his father, Roger, in September aged 58.
Lukaku joined Napoli at the start of last season under Conte, having previously worked with him at Inter Milan. He played a key role in helping the club win the Serie A title, scoring 14 league goals. However, Napoli have since signed Rasmus Hojlund and Giovane to refresh their attacking options.
The former Manchester United and Chelsea forward is out of contract at the end of next season and hopes to return before the campaign ends to earn a place in Belgium's squad for this summer's World Cup. In a social media post following his father's death, Lukaku wrote: "Thank you for teaching me everything I know... You protected and guided me like no one else could have done."
