Arsenal at Napoli Champions League preview: injuries, suspensions, & predicted lineups
The Gunners kick off their Champions League campaign with a trip to Italy
Arsenal head to Italy to kick start their Champions League campaign on Wednesday when they face Serie A side Napoli. The season is still young, but the Gunners have shown their title retention aspirations already with three wins from three in the Premier League. After making it all the way to the CL finals last season, there is little doubt that they are ready to mount another challenge in hopes of finally getting the piece of silverware that has eluded them for decades.
Getting off to a good start in the CL league phase is paramount for finishing in a top eight position, which secures a first-round knockout bye. Last season saw the Gunners go a perfect eight-for-eight in their league phase matches to lock up the top spot. It will be a tough act to repeat, but starting with one win makes the next one feel that much more attainable.
Below, we’ll take a look at who is available, who may miss out, and how the Gunners may lineup in their first Champions League match of the season.
Arsenal came away from Sunday’s victory over Chelsea with bragging rights as well as a clean bill of health. To what extent the absence of Moises Caicedo from Chelsea’s lineup had to do with that is uncertain, but it certainly didn’t hurt - quite literally.
Cristhian Mosquera was the only new addition to the physio’s table after coming off against Aston Villa with a hamstring tweak. He missed out on making the bench for Sunday, which was understandable. With any luck, he is available for the trip on Wednesday.
The big news from the week was the return of Jurrien Timber to first team training. His lengthy absence has been a point of concern, though it appears, at least for now, that he is nearing fitness. How long he will need before being available for selection is still yet to be determined.
OUT: William Saliba (back)
DOUBT: Jurrien Timber (groin), Cristhian Mosquera (hamstring)
The Greek winger bounced back from Monday’s forgettable outing with an enthusiastic, confident display at home against Chelsea where he provided the assist for Martin Ødegaard’s match winner. Mikel Arteta will want to rotate midweek, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he got more match time to continue finding his footing.
After failing to see the pitch for the first two matches, the Swedish striker came on to see out the last 20 minutes of Arsenal’s victory over Chelsea. It wasn’t a compelling cameo by any stretch, but he didn’t need to do anything spectacular with the lead in hand. Wednesday seems like the perfect opportunity for him to get a start and give Arteta food for thought for future matches.
Like Gyökeres, Madueke came on against Chelsea for Saka and wasn’t tasked with anything more than maintaining the lead. He has been a central part of the offensive rotation since joining last season, and it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see him get a little match time on the left as well, especially with Max Dowman’s breakout last season. For now, he maintains his spot as Saka’s backup on the right and a shoe-in to start against Napoli.
Bruno has already endured the hallmark of a proper Arsenal signing when he picked up an early injury in the Community Shield. He made the bench on Sunday but didn’t come on, which was fine. The less wear and tear, the better. Wednesday would be the ideal time for Declan Rice to rest and for Bruno to get his first start of the season proper after he showed some excellent glimpses when he came on against Aston Villa on Monday.
Central Defensive Midfield: Martin Zubimendi
The World Cup winner has seen his role affected by the rise of Myles Lewis-Skelly, but he hasn’t become surplus to demands by any stretch. On the contrary, he has been able to have a bit of proper rest after he ran himself into the ground last season, and he has been sharp in his substitute appearances. We know how good he is when he’s healthy, and he comes back into the starting lineup on Wednesday.
When Arsenal failed to bring in another attacker, Eze seemed destined to spend the majority of the season out wide. While that may be the likely reality in the Premier League, I have plenty of faith that he’ll get central minutes across the other competitions, including the CL. If not him, Mikel Merino is a likely candidate with his last two appearances happening in relief of Martin Ødegaard.
Defense: Hincapie, Gabriel, Konsa, Mosquera
The Ecuadorian defender has been stuck behind the sensational Calafiori this season, but you’d have to search far and wide for a player that wouldn’t be. He has come on in relief in two of three matches so far and is the easy choice to start against Napoli.
At the middle of the defense, I think Arteta sticks with a pretty standard pairing with Gabriel at the LCB. He’s a leader on the pitch and one of the best defenders in the world. With him at the back, the defense is sound.
Konsa’s first start for the Gunners had a bit of everything. A few early gaffes were made up for with some crunching tackles and overall top-level play. His baptism against Chelsea was a stern test that he grew into, and while his partnership with Gabi won’t make anyone forget about William Saliba any time soon, it’s given considerable comfort that the defense will not skip a beat.
On the right, there are limited options. Despite coming off with a knock against Villa, I think Cristhian Mosquera may have a shot to start. Jurrien Timber probably won’t be fit by Wednesday, and Ben White isn’t a three-match-per-week player anymore. Marli Salmon has been tabbed for more match time over the season, but I can’t imagine him being involved in any competition beyond the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
Arsenal have three keepers that could start on Wednesday, but there’s only one that makes sense. The gulf between David Raya and the other keepers is immense. It’s no fault of theirs; Raya is just that good. He was beaten to the near post early against Chelsea but didn’t give them so much as a sniff for the rest of the match, including a tremendous save late on from a curling effort by Estevao.
The Gunners face PSG in their first Champions League final in 20 years
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