Napoli Face Chelsea Amid injury Crisis threatening Champions League Exit

Last Updated:January 27, 2026, 08:26 IST

Napoli face Chelsea in a must-win Champions League clash amid injuries to Romelu Lukaku, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, David Neres, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa.

Napoli's Kevin De Bruyne (X)

Napoli are on the verge of elimination from the Champions League as they face Chelsea on Wednesday, amid a deep injury crisis and a struggling Serie A title defence.

Sitting just inside the elimination zone with only eight points from seven matches after last week’s disappointing 1-1 draw at FC Copenhagen, Napoli must beat Chelsea to secure a place in next month’s play-offs.

This will be a challenging task against the Blues, Antonio Conte’s former club, who also need a win to stay in the top eight and secure direct qualification for the last 16.

Napoli enter the game reeling from a 3-0 defeat at Juventus, which left the Italian champions nine points behind current Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

Sunday’s loss in Turin was a significant setback for Napoli and Juve icon Conte, who praised his players for their efforts despite numerous injuries.

“Before today, the last match we’d lost was against Udinese (on December 14). We even won the Italian Super Cup in an emergency, an emergency which has got even worse," Conte told DAZN on Sunday.

“The boys need big support from the fans… We’re going through a difficult period and I expect the fans to get behind the team."

Conte’s attempt to become the first Napoli coach to win back-to-back Serie A titles has been hindered by physical issues within his squad from the outset of the season.

It began with Romelu Lukaku suffering a hamstring injury in pre-season, keeping him out until the 79th minute of Sunday’s loss.

Lukaku replaced academy graduate Antonio Vergara, who played in place of Italy international Matteo Politano. New signing Giovane made his debut as a substitute, with Conte later admitting he hadn’t seen him train.

Conte has also lost goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic to a hamstring injury, while winger David Neres flew to London for ankle surgery on Monday, likely sidelining the Brazilian until April.

Kevin De Bruyne has been out since October and won’t return until spring after right hamstring surgery. Another key midfielder, Andre-Frank Anguissa, was supposed to return on Sunday from a hamstring injury but was left out due to back problems.

“We know that we’re navigating in open waters with very high waves, but we’re not getting off the boat," said Conte.

“We’re still here, made stronger by the fact that we want to keep fighting with all our might even with the absurd situation that we’re in.

“These boys are serious, they’re giving everything, and I see what they’re doing, what they have to put up with, what they’re risking because, let’s be clear here, they’re jeopardising their physical health.

“They’re playing every three days, not training, and the same players have to play high-intensity football because we don’t have any chance to rotate."

The only good news for Conte is the return of Lukaku, who has replaced De Bruyne in Napoli’s European squad, giving the Belgian striker the chance to redeem himself against Chelsea, where he struggled four years ago.

Last season, 11 points were enough to avoid elimination, so a win will almost certainly get Napoli through and provide some relief to a beleaguered team.

(With AFP Inputs)

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