The 34-year-old midfielder suffered the setback during Napoli's 3-1 win over Inter Milan recently, pulling up immediately after scoring from the penalty spot. De Bruyne was seen clutching the back of his right thigh before being helped off the pitch in clear discomfort.
Medical scans later revealed a high-grade tear to the biceps femoris muscle in his right thigh, prompting the need for surgical treatment. Napoli released a statement confirming the procedure had taken place as planned in Antwerp.
"As planned, Kevin De Bruyne underwent surgery today in Antwerp following a high-grade injury to his right thigh biceps femoris muscle," the club said. "The operation was a complete success. De Bruyne will now begin the first phase of his rehabilitation programme in Belgium."
Napoli have not given a timeline for his return, but reports in Italy suggest he could be sidelined for several months. It is the latest in a series of hamstring issues for De Bruyne, who also required surgery in 2023 during his time at Manchester City.
Since joining Napoli in the summer of 2025 on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City, De Bruyne has been a key creative figure in midfield, helping the Serie A champions make a strong start to their title defence. His absence will be a major blow for the team as they continue their domestic campaign and Champions League push.
Manager Antonio Conte is expected to rely on Scott McTominay and Jens Cajuste to fill the gap in midfield while De Bruyne continues his recovery at home in Belgium.
England will head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup grouped with Croatia, Ghana and Panama, as the expanded 48-team tournament begins to take shape following Friday evening's draw.
Napoli scraped into the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday after surviving a nail-biting 9-8 penalty shoot-out win over Cagliari, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
AC Milan's resurgence under Massimiliano Allegri has prompted growing belief that Serie A may be entering a new "Super Max" phase, with the Rossoneri unbeaten against the league's biggest sides heading into December.
AC Milan go into tonight's clash against Lazio at San Siro knowing that a win will lift them to the top of Serie A, at least overnight, and once again the focus falls on Luka Modric.
