Chelsea and Napoli Injury Crisis Ahead of Decisive Champions League Showdown
Chelsea return to Champions League action on Wednesday evening with a challenging away fixture against Napoli in what promises to be a pivotal encounter. This match represents the final round of the league phase, with all teams competing simultaneously to ensure competitive fairness across the tournament.
The Blues currently occupy the last automatic qualification position, holding a slender advantage over Barcelona on goal difference alone. Given the tightly packed nature of the standings, Chelsea will almost certainly require victory in Naples to secure their progression and avoid the uncertainty of a play-off round.
For injury-plagued Napoli, the stakes are arguably even higher. The Italian side currently sit just outside the play-off positions on goal difference, meaning they too will likely need all three points to maintain their involvement in Europe's premier club competition this season.
Complete Chelsea and Napoli Squad Availability Report
Below is the comprehensive injury status for both squads ahead of this crucial European encounter:
Napoli Confirmed Absences
- David Neres - The attacker has recently undergone ankle surgery and will be unavailable for selection for the foreseeable future.
- Vanja Milinkovic-Savic - The goalkeeper misses out due to a thigh strain sustained in training.
- Matteo Politano - Napoli's winger is sidelined with a muscular problem that requires further assessment.
- Amir Rrahmani - The defender continues to recover from a thigh injury and will not feature against Chelsea.
- Frank Anguissa - Napoli's powerful midfielder is ruled out with a hamstring issue that requires careful management.
Chelsea Squad Availability
Confirmed Fit Players:
- Cole Palmer - Despite missing Chelsea's recent Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace, manager Rosenior has confirmed the attacker has traveled with the squad and will be available for selection.
- Filip Jorgensen - The goalkeeper has also been declared fit and has made the journey to Italy after recovering from his recent absence.
Chelsea Injury Absences:
- Billy Gilmour - The former Chelsea midfielder underwent surgery in late autumn and continues his rehabilitation program away from match action.
- Kevin de Bruyne - The experienced playmaker remains unavailable following hamstring surgery in October, with his return date still to be determined.
- Tosin Adarabioyo - Manager Rosenior confirmed last week: "Tosin won't be available for this game. Unfortunately, he felt something in his hamstring, which is going to rule him out for the next few weeks."
- Romeo Lavia - Although progressing in his recovery, the midfielder has not traveled with the squad. Rosenior explained: "We're taking it really, really carefully with him. He has to clear a few more hurdles to train fully."
- Dario Essugo - The young talent suffered an unfortunate training ground injury. Rosenior confirmed: "Dario has picked up a really unfortunate injury. He slipped in training, and he's going to be out for a while."
Additional Squad Notes
Levi Colwill - The defender has been ruled out for the entire season following successful ACL surgery in August. A club statement at the time confirmed: "Levi has today undergone successful surgery [for] an ACL injury. Medical assessments confirmed surgery would be the required course of action."
Mykhailo Mudryk - The Ukrainian international is currently serving a suspension following anti-doping violations. A summer club statement read: "We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance."
This leaves both managers with significant selection headaches as they prepare their tactical approaches for what could prove to be a season-defining European night in Naples.
