Napoli Faces Injury Setbacks After Arsenal Defeat

Napoli have confirmed a double injury blow from their Champions League defeat to Arsenal – but there is at least one key return on the horizon.

The club announced that goalkeeper Alex Meret has sustained a low-grade injury to the adductor in his left thigh, while attacker Alisson Santos has suffered a medium-grade hamstring problem. Both were forced off during Wednesday night’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, a game decided by Martin Odegaard’s 75th-minute strike.

No exact recovery timelines have been set for either player. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, though, there is optimism inside the club that the injury situation could ease by the end of the September-October international break, when a cluster of sidelined players are expected to rejoin the squad.

There is already one piece of good news. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is back in training and in contention to feature at the weekend, handing Napoli’s midfield a timely boost after a bruising opening to their 2026-27 Champions League campaign.

The Meret and Alisson setbacks add to an already worrying list of absentees. Reigning 2024-25 Serie A MVP Scott McTominay remains out as he continues his recovery from a minor heart procedure to treat a benign arrhythmia. The midfielder is also targeting a return after the upcoming international break.

At the back, defenders Alessandro Buongiorno and Luca Marianucci are still working their way back from recent injuries, while forward Giovane is also on the comeback trail. All three are being pencilled in for potential returns in October.

Napoli’s season is only just starting, but with Europe demanding perfection and Serie A already unforgiving, the question is simple: how long can they keep pace while waiting for a full squad to reappear?