Napoli lineups vs Arsenal: Anguissa fit to start, De Bruyne benched

Napoli have named their starting eleven for Wednesday 9 September's Champions League match against Arsenal, kicking off at 21:00 at the Maradona, and the team sheet tells you plenty about Allegri's thinking.

Alex Meret starts in goal, protected by Rrahmani, Rafa Marín and captain Di Lorenzo. On the left, Leonardo Spinazzola gets the nod over Mathías Olivera, who drops to the bench along with Badiashile and Beukema — settling the battle for that spot that had been flagged on the eve of the game.

In midfield, Lobotka and Anguissa flank Vergara, who starts just days after his first call-up to the national team. Up front, Höjlund leads the attack alongside vice-captain Politano and Alisson Santos, with Lucca, Noa Lang, De Bruyne and Gilmour all held back as options from the bench. Scott McTominay is not even in the squad, still recovering from the operation for cardiac ablation that rules him out of this game.

Napoli have kept their fixed points in defence and in the choice of captain and vice-captain, but the midfield and attack look different from what many expected to see. With De Bruyne and Neres only ready to be used once the match is under way, this reads as an Allegri managing his players' energy at a tense moment for the club, arriving at this European night on the back of the defeat in Milan.