Napoli Head Coach Rafael Benítez confirms faith in goalkeeper Rafael Cabral

Napoli Head Coach Rafael Benítez has confirmed that he is relying on goalkeeper Rafael Cabral for next season. The 24 year-old ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a UEFA Europa League tie against Swansea City on 22 February and is still working at his rehabilitation. Rafael is expected to be fully […]
by
sambafoot_admin
2014-06-15 19:54:00

Napoli Head Coach Rafael Benítez has confirmed that he is relying on goalkeeper Rafael Cabral for next season.

The 24 year-old ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a UEFA Europa League tie against Swansea City on 22 February and is still working at his rehabilitation.

Rafael is expected to be fully fit for the start of the 2014/15 season, but with the departure of loanee Pepe Reina back to Liverpool, some reports have suggested Benítez is exploring the possibility of signing another goalkeeper.

Writing on his personal website, the Spaniard denied such speculation and also questioned links with moves for another central defender and right full-back.

"Currently we are not searching for a right-back because we already have three or four players who can cover that position," he said, as reported by Football Italia.

"Similarly, we aren’t looking for centre-backs, as with the arrival of [Kalidou] Koulibaly we have five alternatives in that role.

"Nor are we on the look-out for a goalkeeper. I speak to Rafael daily to keep up with his recovery progress. [Mariano] Andújar and [Roberto] Colombo are reliable defenders of our goal.

"Therefore, I’d ask for a little precision when people name players to take our fans off course."

Rafael joined Napoli from Santos in June 2013 for a reported fee off €5 million. Before suffering the injury, he had kept four clean sheets in ten appearances.

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by
sambafoot_admin
June 15, 2014