Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be available for Napoli for their Serie A match in Genoa, manager Antonio Conte said on Friday.
The Georgian suffered a right knee sprain during the defeat to Lazio earlier this month, but his recovery has been effective and he is ready for Saturday's match.
Napoli are second with 35 points, two behind leaders Atalanta, with Kvaratskhelia contributing five goals and three assists in 15 Serie A games for Napoli this season.
“Kvara trained with us yesterday and looked more relaxed today. He is available and it is an important recovery for us,” Conte told reporters.
Since the beginning of September, Napoli have conceded just two away goals and kept five clean sheets; in the Big-5 European competitions in this period, only Fiorentina, Inter and Real Sociedad registered as many clean sheets in away matches.
The Napoli boss stressed that the team's recent good run has been built on solid foundations and hard work, highlighting his belief in the players' ability to improve even after setbacks.
“Shortcuts to success are short-lived,” he said.
“To build something important you need a solid foundation. Good work can shorten the path, but without that foundation, success is not sustainable.
“I always repeat that I have confidence in these guys because I see them every day. Then you can't always win. You stumble, but even in the stumbles they will try to improve.”
Sotto l'albero un'affascinante sfida al Marassi
Scope of statistics of #GenoaNapoli presented today
#ProudToBeNapoli pic.twitter.com/5siZ6xwz1U
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) December 20, 2024
Conte reaffirmed his confidence in the squad's growth as he left transfer decisions up to the club in January.
“As for me, I have the maximum confidence in the boys, I can go to battle with them,” Conte said. “Sports war. They are real men and boys who are growing and you can see that, and I am very happy with that.
“Let me be clear. I am very calm, but if credible opportunities arise – because you hear so many things – and the club decides whether it wants to make changes, then we will see.”
Genoa have not conceded any goals in their last three league games, although they have not kept four straight clean sheets since February-March 2022. Patrick Vieira has also yet to lose and remains undefeated in his first four games in charge (W1 D3).
Conte acknowledged the difficulty of facing Genoa at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium.
“It's a classic English-style stadium, with fans on top of you,” he added. “It creates a warm atmosphere, but we will stick to our game plan and approach everything with attention to detail and cooperation.”
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