Conte tells Napoli players to enjoy the title race

Napoli's players must enjoy being near the Serie A summit without letting themselves feel the pressure of a title race, manager Antonio Conte said on Friday ahead of their top-of-the-table clash with leaders Inter Milan.

Napoli, who have 56 points from 26 games and stand one point behind Inter, are looking to add to their title from the 2022-23 season and bury the ghosts of a dismal campaign last term when they finished 10th and failed to qualify for Europe.

"Beyond the standings, I would have expected a Napoli that, after seven months, would start taking shape," Conte, who took charge at the start of the season, told reporters.

"Finding ourselves in this position should fill us with pride, but it shouldn’t put pressure on us.

"As I told the guys, sometimes pressure can be positive, other times negative. That's why I keep telling the players to enjoy this moment. We earned this position in the standings through our hard work ...

"In general the match is influential on the standings because there are three points available and there are many teams close by."

Napoli will be without key midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa for Saturday's home clash with Inter after the Cameroonian sustained a calf injury in Sunday's loss to Como.

Asked whether Billy Gilmour or Philip Billing would replace Anguissa, Conte said: "Good question, I've been carrying it with me all week.

"I still have 24 hours to decide, but it's a technical question that I appreciate because it's very specific. Both options could be right.

"We will try to make the best choice by evaluating the players and always looking for a solution to injuries, which are part of the journey.

"Some players recover more easily, while others struggle more. But we must find a solution. We worked on it and you will see it tomorrow."

Conte said left backs Mathias Olivera and Leonardo Spinazzola were both fit to face Inter.

"We've recovered them. Spinazzola played the entire match against Como, and we managed his workload during the week," the Italian added.

"Mathias had a more serious issue. It was a recurring calf injury. He's working to be in top shape, and both of them are available. We'll see which choice is the most appropriate."