NAPLES, Italy :AC Milan coach Sergio Conceicao said he was not one for making excuses but the absence of key players had hit his team hard in their 2-1 defeat at Napoli on Sunday. Milan, who sit ninth in the Serie A standings with 47 points, were without Ruben Loftus-Cheek after the England midfielder was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and underwent surgery hours before kickoff. Conceicao said that defender Malick Thiaw did not play due to intestinal problems, while winger Rafael Leao, who came on in the second half, was suffering from physical discomfort following the international break. "Since I've been here I've never made excuses, even though we played every three days until two weeks ago, but today absolutely everything happened," the Portuguese manager told reporters. "The doctor called me to tell me that Loftus-Cheek had to undergo surgery, Thiaw had intestinal problems and Leao felt a little pain in his thigh... I don't want to dwell on bad luck, even though it was a black day." Conceicao admitted his team needed to perform better after conceding twice early in the first half, but he took positives from their second-half response, as they went close to equalising in stoppage time. "(Napoli) managed to escape our pressing too easily in the first half, but we rectified the situation in the second half and we did it with more courage and aggression," he said. "We were missing something, I have a lot of confidence, the atmosphere in the group is healthy and I don't want to change it." Milan now turn their attention to the Coppa Italia, where they face bitter rivals and Serie A leaders Inter Milan in the first leg of the semi-finals on Wednesday. "It's an important game, the Coppa Italia is one of the club's objectives," Conceicao added. "The players have already shown they have character, we need to continue working on our balance. It's difficult for everyone in this position in the league table, but I have a group that wants to change these results."