Napoli's Injury Woes Deepen After Arsenal Defeat
Napoli’s Champions League opener against Arsenal took more than three points off the table. It stripped them of their goalkeeper and a key attacker, and deepened the sense of a squad creaking under early-season strain.
A tight, tense night at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was decided by a 75th‑minute strike from Martin Odegaard, the Arsenal captain punishing a lapse and silencing the home crowd in a 1-0 defeat. The result stung. The injuries hurt more.
Meret and Alisson blow confirmed
On Thursday, Napoli moved from concern to confirmation. In an official medical update, the club revealed that Alex Meret has sustained a low‑grade injury to the adductor in his left thigh. Alisson Santos, who had been emerging as one of the attacking reference points in this new campaign, has suffered a medium‑grade hamstring injury.
Both were forced off during the first Champions League game of the 2026-27 season, turning a difficult night into a damaging one. Exact recovery times remain undefined, but the diagnosis alone is enough to disrupt plans for the coming weeks.
The hope inside the club is that this will not drag on. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, there is optimism that Napoli’s growing injury list will begin to clear by the end of the September–October international break. Until then, they walk a tightrope.
Anguissa back in the mix
There was at least one ray of light in the statement. Andre‑Frank Zambo Anguissa has returned to training and is already in contention to feature at the weekend.
For a midfield that has had to shuffle and compromise, the Cameroon international’s presence offers balance, bite and experience. His return gives the coaching staff one reliable piece back on the board at a time when too many are being removed.
McTominay and a long list on the sidelines
The injuries to Meret and Alisson drop straight into an already crowded treatment room.
Scott McTominay, the 2024-25 Serie A MVP and one of the pillars of this Napoli project, is still recovering after a minor heart procedure to treat a benign arrhythmia. The club expect him to be back in contention after the upcoming international break, but until he returns, Napoli are without their most decorated and influential midfielder.
At the back, Alessandro Buongiorno and Luca Marianucci are still working their way back from recent injuries, leaving depth at the heart of defence under pressure. Up front, forward Giovane is also sidelined, another attacking option removed from a squad that now has to navigate domestic and European commitments with reduced resources.
The target is clear: get through to October without losing ground, then hit the restart button with a fitter, fuller squad. Whether Napoli can stay in the title and Champions League fight while patched up and stretched thin will define the shape of their season.
