Josip Šutalo, the Croatian centre-back currently playing for Lazio, sustained a muscle injury during the Serie A match against Napoli. The injury occurred in the 33rd minute, when Šutalo had to leave the pitch limping with the assistance of club doctors. Diogo Leite replaced him.
At the time of Šutalo's injury, Lazio were leading 1-0, following a goal by Davide Frattesi in the 28th minute. Television cameras captured Šutalo with his foot wrapped in ice, while a teammate assisted him down the stairs.
Lazio travelled to Naples as the Serie A leaders with 28 points and nine wins from ten matches. Šutalo joined the club at the end of August on a one-year loan from Ajax, with an option to buy. Lazio paid €3 million for the loan, with an additional €7.5 million for a permanent transfer. He had played six league matches for the Italian club before the injury.
Šutalo moved to Ajax from Dinamo in 2023 for €20.5 million, where he played a total of 108 matches. Before Ajax, he came through Dinamo's youth academy and spent one season on loan at Istria 1961. He has made 40 appearances for the Croatian national team, winning a bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he played the full match in the third-place play-off against Morocco.
Croatia manager Slaven Bilić now faces additional challenges due to Šutalo's injury, which could seriously affect his squad in the upcoming Nations League games. Croatia play England at Wembley on 12 November, and host Czechia in Osijek three days later. Bilić already has issues with the absences of injured players Marin Pongračić and Franjo Ivanović, while Andrej Kramarić remains at Hoffenheim due to a knee problem. Ivan Perišić misses the match against England through a red card but is available for the game against Czechia.
Lazio will announce the severity of Josip Šutalo's injury after scans and whether the Croatian centre-back will be able to represent the national team in the key Nations League matches.
