Kevin De Bruyne appeared overcome with emotion after putting his Napoli side ahead from the spot – only to injure himself taking the shot.
Antonio Conte’s side were facing Inter Milan on Saturday evening in a clash to claim the top of the Serie A table as both sides sat level on 15 points at kick-off.
Just over the half-hour mark however, Napoli had the opportunity to draw first blood after winning a penalty in the Inter box.
The former Manchester City man was nerveless from the spot, stepping up and coolly converting past goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
But as he wheeled away in celebration, the 34-year-old almost immediately pulled up, clutching his hamstring.
Quickly surrounded by team-mates too stunned to celebrate, De Bruyne was visibly tearful as he waited for medical assistance on the pitch.
Kevin De Bruyne appeared to be reduced to tears after suffering an injury to his hamstring
The ex-Manchester City star stepped up to the spot to put Napoli ahead only to injure himself
Napoli medics made their way onto the turf at pace, but only to help De Bruyne immediately off the field, rather than attempting treatment.
De Bruyne was later seen on the bench with the area heavily bandaged, as he watched his team-mates beat their northern rivals – and top the Serie A table as a result – 3-1.
As per DAZN, Conte is thought to have pushed for De Bruyne to take the spot kick against the Milanese side, despite his team-mate David Neres already hovering in the area with the ball under his arm.
For De Bruyne, any pain felt in his hamstring will come loaded with unhappy recent memories.
The Belgium international has a troubled history of issues with his right hamstring, and underwent major surgery in a bid to right the problem in the summer of 2023.
De Bruyne was sidelined for the first four months of the 2023-24 season, but re-aggravated the issue later on in the campaign.
De Bruyne was consoled by team-mates on the pitch as medics hurried on to help him down the tunnel
The 34-year-old has repeatedly struggled with hamstring injuries over recent campaigns
Antonio Conte – who is thought to have advocated for De Bruyne to take the penalty – watched stricken from the dugout
De Bruyne later came back onto the sidelines to watch his team-mates beat Inter Milan 3-1
Last season also saw De Bruyne struggle for full fitness as his time at the Etihad coming to a close, with the midfielder missing nine matches across all competitions as he recovered from a hamstring issue.
Even more disappointingly, a potential long-term injury comes after a fine start at his new club in southern Italy.
Since arriving in Naples, De Bruyne has scored four times and registered a further two assists in his 11 appearances across all competitions.
