Napoli Faces Arsenal Defeat and Growing Injury List
Napoli’s Champions League campaign has started with a double blow and a glimmer of relief.
The 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday, settled by a 75th-minute strike from Martin Odegaard, was painful enough. The real damage came in the treatment room, where first-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret and attacker Alisson Santos both joined an already crowded injury list.
Meret and Alisson sidelined
On Thursday, Napoli released the medical bulletin the club had been dreading.
Meret has sustained a low-grade injury to the adductor in his left thigh, ruling out the goalkeeper who has been a steady pillar of this side. Alisson, one of the key attacking options, has suffered a medium-grade hamstring injury.
The club has not put a precise timeline on either player’s return. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, there is optimism that both could be back, along with several teammates, by the end of the September–October international break, but for now Napoli enter a crucial stretch without them.
Anguissa boost for the weekend
There is at least one positive note.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is back in full training and is in contention to feature at the weekend. His presence in midfield, both on and off the ball, has been badly missed, and his return offers Luciano Spalletti – or, as referenced in some reports, Massimiliano Allegri – a badly needed option as he juggles absences across the pitch.
With Meret out, the goalkeeping hierarchy will be tested. With Alisson sidelined, the forward line loses another piece of its rotation. Anguissa’s availability helps to rebalance a side that has been forced to improvise since the opening weeks of the season.
McTominay and others targeting October
Napoli’s problems do not stop there.
Scott McTominay, the 2024-25 Serie A MVP, remains unavailable as he recovers from a minor heart procedure to correct a benign arrhythmia. The club expect him to be back in contention after the upcoming international break, a potential game-changer for the autumn run.
At the back, defenders Alessandro Buongiorno and Luca Marianucci are still working their way back from recent injuries. In attack, forward Giovane is on the same path. The hope inside the club is that all three will return to action in October, turning a fragile squad into something closer to full strength.
For now, Napoli must navigate domestic fixtures and the next phase of their Champions League campaign with a patched-up group, leaning on depth, improvisation and Anguissa’s timely return. The question is simple: can they stay in the race on all fronts long enough for their stars to make it back?
