Napoli has issues in midfield for its Champions League opener against Arsenal
Inter's Pio Esposito fights for the ball with Napoli's Rafa Marin, Napoli's Antonio Vergara, Napoli's Stanislav Lobotka during the Serie A soccer match between Inter and Napoli at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Credit: AP/Fabio Ferrari
NAPLES, Italy — Napoli has issues in midfield for its Champions League opener against Arsenal on Wednesday, with both Scott McTominay and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa unavailable.
McTominay underwent a surgical procedure to treat an irregular heartbeat on Tuesday, while Anguissa has a physical issue.
“In midfield we will play three between (Kevin) De Bruyne, (Billy) Gilmour, (Stanislav) Lobotka and (Antonio) Vergara,” Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri said Tuesday.
As the defending Serie A champion last season, Napoli was eliminated in the league phase after finishing 30th of the 36 teams in the Champions League.
Allegri replaced Antonio Conte after last season.
“We need to get 12 points to secure qualification,” Allegri said. “We know we’re up against a team that has just won the Premier League and reached the final of this competition. (Mikel) Arteta has done well to get his defense organized and they concede very few goals.
“I had the fortune of (coaching) in two finals but I lost both of them,” Allegri said, referring to when he was at Juventus and the 2015 and 2017 finals, which were won by Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.
Napoli's head coach Massimiliano Allegri and Inter's head coach Cristian Chivu, right, talk during the Serie A soccer match between Inter and Napoli at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Credit: AP/Marco Alpozzi
Napoli has lost two straight in Serie A, getting beat by Como and Inter Milan.
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