Naples officially announced that De Bruyne's surgery was very successful. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, De Bruyne will not be able to return until February next year at the earliest.
De Bruyne underwent an operation in Antwerp conducted by Dr. De Kkerk. The operation was to treat a severe biceps femoris injury on the back of his right thigh. During the operation, the club's medical director Canonico was also present. According to the plan, De Bruyne will undergo the first phase of recovery after surgery in Belgium.
Meschalk, the physiotherapist responsible for subsequent recovery treatment, said: "The goal is of course to get De Bruyne back to his best condition. We don't know the specific next steps yet, and we will discuss the details of recovery more precisely tomorrow. However, the operation is going well."
Local media reported that the recovery time is expected to be 3 to 5 months. According to the most optimistic estimates, he will not be able to return until February next year at the earliest. This is obviously not an ideal situation for Conte, especially since he will also lose Anguissa for the African Cup of Nations in December.