Napoli are facing a Champions League elimination crisis as they prepare to host Chelsea on Wednesday, with seven first-team players ruled out due to injuries. The Serie A champions, who secured a historic Scudetto last season, have slipped to fourth in the league and sit 25th in the Champions League standings, staring at an early exit.
Manager Antonio Conte has been plagued by injuries throughout the campaign. Winger David Neres underwent successful ankle surgery on Monday and will be sidelined until April. First-choice goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic is expected to miss the match with a thigh strain, while his backup Alex Meret has only recently returned from a fractured foot and shoulder injury.
Also ruled out are winger Matteo Politano and centre-back Amir Rrahmani, both with thigh injuries, and midfielder Frank Anguissa with a hamstring problem. Former Chelsea star Billy Gilmour, who joined Napoli in 2024, remains in rehab following groin surgery in November and will miss the reunion with his boyhood club.
There is some positive news for Conte, however. Romelu Lukaku has returned to action after five months out with a severe hamstring tear. The striker played 11 minutes in Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Juventus and could feature against his former club Chelsea.
