Gargano out a month with fractured cheekbone

How this news is taken will probably be different for different fans, but no matter what you feel about Walter Gargano, the reality is still that Napoli will be down a midfielder for awhile. Some kind of freak accident in training left Gargano with a fractured cheekbone, forcing him him to have surgery and leaving him on the sideline.

While the surgery was deemed "successful", the surgeon has apparently ordered four weeks of no physical contact for Gargano in order to avoid potential complications. That means no training, much less any match time for the next month.

Despite the misgivings of much of the fanbase, Gargano has been a regular in the starting lineup this season, and as such this injury could leave Rafa Benitez feeling a little bit in the lurch. Fortunately, David Lopez has been very good in that ball-winning role when he's played this season, and with Jorginho returning to health, the combination of Lopez, Jorginho, and Gokhan Inler should leave Napoli in fine shape for the time being.

Plus, hey, if this is what it takes to get Josip Radosevic some playing time... well, maybe that's not so bad.