Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian striker for Napoli, resumed training with the team on Tuesday after more than a month away, a period marked by controversy and uncertainty about his future with the Partenopei. He had remained in Belgium to continue his physical recovery.
“Romelu Lukaku returned to Napoli’s training center and completed an individual session,” the club said in a brief statement.
In late March 2026, Napoli announced it was considering sidelining the player after he failed to report for a scheduled training session. The club stated at the time that it reserved the right to take disciplinary measures and decide whether to keep him on the team permanently.
Lukaku, who had been called up by Belgium, declined to play in friendlies against the United States and Mexico to focus on his fitness after a season plagued by injuries. The forward explained that medical exams revealed inflammation and fluid in his hip flexor muscle, and he publicly insisted that he would “never turn his back on Napoli,” stressing that he needed to be “clinically 100%.”
Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, acknowledged the club was not satisfied with the player’s decision to stay in Belgium and warned that “there would be consequences.”
So far in 2026, the attacker has accumulated just 48 minutes spread across six appearances in all competitions, though he scored his first goal of the season on February 28 against Hellas Verona in Serie A—a decisive strike in a 1–2 victory.