Napoli forward Pandev: I'm not Lavezzi's heir
Lavezzi left for Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month and the Partenopei have yet to sign a replacement, prompting many to presume that Walter Mazzarri will simply promote Pandev to his first XI.
The Macedonian is looking forward to more starts this season, having sealed a permanent switch to the San Paolo after joining on loan from Inter last summer, but is uncomfortable with the comparisons with Lavezzi.
"We are different players," Pandev told reporters at a press conference on Saturday. "He did very well here at Napoli and then chose to leave.
"I'm happy for him because he went into an important team. But I have my own characteristics and am just here to help the team."
In that regard, Pandev is hoping that he can play his part in putting more silverware in Napoli's trophy cabinet after last season's Coppa Italia success.
"The main candidate for the Scudetto is Juventus, and then there are Inter and Milan. But we should not have too much pressure on us because we're not the favorites ... "