Billy Gilmour magic inspires Napoli comeback on Scott McTominay return as player collapses on pitch

McTominay ended his month-long absence from tendon inflammation as he was named on the bench for the Serie A fixture against Lecce at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Gilmour, who spent three months on the sidelines with a groin injury prior to his return last month, was selected in the starting line-up for the second successive match.

However, Napoli fell a goal behind inside just three minutes when Jamil Siebert headed home from a corner to stun the home fans into silence. The visitors held that lead until the half-time break when both McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne, also returning from injury, were introduced from the bench.

The hosts were level within a minute of the restart and it was Gilmour who was the architect of the goal with a glorious defence-splitting pass to Matteo Politano who squared for Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund to tap home.

Politano then struck what proved to the winner in the 67th minute as Napoli secured a crucial three points in the race for a Champions League spot and closed to within nine points of leaders Inter Milan, who were held 1-1 at home by Atalanta.

There was, however, a moment of concern late in the match when Lecce player Lameck Banda collapsed with breathing difficulties during the final minutes of the game, prompting Napoli boss Antonio Conte to race onto the pitch to raise the alarm.

Banda was stretchered off and taken to a nearby ambulance on the side of the pitch before being transferred to Cardarelli Hospital in Naples where he is being observed.

Conte explained what happened, stating: "I was nearby, five meters away from him, because I was trying to see if my players were positioning themselves properly in the wall during a free kick, and I saw him collapse. When I saw him put his hands on his chest, I rushed onto the pitch to raise the alarm. I approached him and asked if he was in pain, and he said yes. I was scared because we've been through similar situations and we don't wish them on anyone. I hope he's well and recovers quickly."

Elsewhere in Serie A, Lennon Miller was brought off the bench in the 67th minute but was unable to prevent his Udinese side from falling to a 1-0 defeat at home by Juventus.

On Friday, Che Adams played 61 minutes as he continued his return from a recent calf injury in Torino’s 4-1 win over Parma.

Three more Scots will be in action in Serie A on Sunday. Kieron Bowie will look to build on scoring his first goal in Italian football last week when Hellas Verona host Genoa in an 11.30am kick-off. Josh Doig’s Sassuolo take on Lewis Ferguson’s Bologna at 2pm.