Antonio Conte has acknowledged that Scott McTominay has experienced an ‘overload’ this week leading up to Napoli’s Serie A clash with Fiorentina on Sunday. However, he also highlighted that fellow Scotland international Billy Gilmour had a ‘great opportunity’ to showcase his abilities against Inter last week.
Since his debut as a substitute against Cagliari in September, McTominay has been a consistent starter in every Napoli league game this season. He has only been substituted off in two of the 23 matches.
A reliable presence in Napoli’s midfield, the former Manchester United player has also contributed with six goals and four assists in his 24 Serie A appearances this season.
Conte Admits Doubt About McTominay Due to Napoli ‘Overload’
Conte admitted to having concerns about McTominay’s condition in training before the Fiorentina match, citing the significant number of minutes he has played this season. This resulted in McTominay training less with the team this week.
“He had an overload, he trained a little less than the others for a couple of days,” Conte stated during his pre-match press conference on Saturday.
“We have 24 hours to decide and we will assess the best course of action together with the player.”
Conte also voiced his satisfaction with Gilmour’s performance, who was given a rare start in midfield due to Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s absence.
“Gilmour had a great chance against Inter, and I made it clear to the team: in these final 11 games, playing time will be earned by those who deserve it. No one has a guaranteed spot. We face 11 games, 11 battles, 11 finals. Gilmour performed very well against Inter and will play against Fiorentina. Whether he continues to perform well and play in the subsequent matches will depend on him. Those currently out of the starting lineup need to convince me to change my mind.”
Click here to read more from Conte’s pre-match press conference.