Napoli host Roma without Pellegrini and Dybala as Allegri faces second test

Napoli play Roma at the Maradona on Saturday 24 October at 18:00 CET (17:00 UK, 12:00 ET). The club has described the game as its second check on head coach Allegri.

Even so, the morning papers look mostly at the other dugout.

Corriere dello Sport confirms Pellegrini is out with a high-grade tear of the semitendinosus, a hamstring muscle. It speaks of "diverse settimane" out, which is "several weeks", and low morale. Sky Sport says Dybala will not be available either. His recovery is progressing and the aim is to have him in the squad for Cagliari at the Olimpico.

Corriere dello Sport also reports that Gasperini skipped the pre-match press conference for the first time this season. It reads this as "a strategy choice". Both outlets describe the same picture: Roma arrive at Fuorigrotta without two important players and with a coach who has chosen not to speak.

On Napoli, Sky Sport runs a headline about a "new centre-back pairing and a midfield contest". A second piece mentions three changes for Allegri and a novelty involving Milinković-Savić. We have only the headlines of those pieces, so we say no more. The background comes from the week's reporting: Rrahmani had a feverish attack on the eve of the game, and Vergara is not yet considered fit after a month of setbacks.

Away from the pitch, Tuttosport says the game is not at risk but warns that getting to the Maradona may be difficult because of a transport strike and protests. The Prefettura, the local government office responsible for public order, is on maximum alert. The paper also asks whether the gates will open earlier. Corriere dello Sport expects a sell-out. Put together, the stadium will be full but reaching it will not be easy. A march against the cost of living starts at 15:00 in Piazza del Plebiscito, and the turnstiles open at 15:30.

Il Mattino turns to ownership. It writes that Aurelio De Laurentiis would have considered a Neapolitan buyer and names three: Aponte (MSC), Grimaldi and Q8. Q8 is the company the club is negotiating with over the former refinery site at San Giovanni a Teduccio, where a new stadium could be built. As for Matt Rizzetta's fund, the paper says a deal remains far off: "2 billion against just over one". The same paper covers Anguissa: his contract talks are stalled, the deal runs out in 2027 and a departure is expected in the summer, not in January.

Our view

Roma's absences are real news, but the story risks becoming an alibi in reverse. Without Pellegrini and Dybala, failing to win at the Maradona would count against Napoli more, not less.

The pages we read miss the main question: what happens to Allegri if the second check also goes badly? The sale figures change depending on who is speaking. That is noise, and match day moves nothing there.

The table says Napoli are 10th and seven points behind Roma. That is where they start at 18:00.