UEFA rules keep Marianucci out as Allegri takes three defenders to Porto

Napoli have already used their one temporary replacement, bringing in Giovane for the injured Favasuli. That leaves no recognised full-back for Wednesday's match at the Dragão.

by Gennaro SanninoMonday 2 November, 22:17 CET· 17 hours ago

Marianucci con la maglia del Napoli — Foto: tuttomercatoweb.com

Luca Marianucci cannot be added to Napoli's UEFA List A (the squad registered for European games). This time the setback is about paperwork, not fitness.

The reason is in the rules. In the league phase, up to and including matchday six, a club may temporarily replace at most one outfield player by registering a new one. Napoli have already done that. Favasuli is injured and was replaced by Giovane, so a second change is not allowed.

As a result, Allegri will have only three defenders for Porto v Napoli at the Estadio do Dragão on Wednesday 4 November, kick-off 21:00 CET (20:00 UK, 15:00 ET). They are Beukema, Rrahmani and Rafa Marín, and there is no recognised full-back among them.

Marianucci is also suspended for the Lazio match after being sent off in Turin in the 75th minute for a second yellow card. For the defence, that is one more problem on top of the first.

Nine players out

The wider picture is a familiar one. Lobotka, Neres, Badiashile, Spinazzola, Buongiorno, Favasuli and Alisson Santos are all out. Di Lorenzo and Olivera are with them. Both stayed behind in Naples for diagnostic tests after coming off in Turin, one at half-time and one early in the second half.

That makes nine names. No part of the squad has been hit harder than the back line.

The awkward question

There is one uncomfortable question, and it is for the people who built the squad and the people who drew up the lists. In September and October, did nobody consider that using the only permitted replacement on an injured defender would leave the club with no room to manoeuvre?

We do not know how those decisions were made. We can see the consequences now, though, just before a trip to a Porto side that has won ten out of ten in its league.

Napoli arrive on the back of the 0-2 in Turin. They had a single shot on target that night, and their defence fell apart from the 70th minute on. With no replacement possible and three defenders on the list, every booking and every knock on Wednesday becomes an immediate problem.

The Maradona comes next, against league leaders Lazio on Sunday 8 November at 12:30 CET. Marianucci will miss that one regardless.