Napoli Field Makeshift Midfield Trio Vs Arsenal

Good evening, Napoli supporters, this is Napoli Tonight for Wednesday 9 September.

McTominay underwent cardiac ablation surgery this morning, hours before Napoli's Champions League opener against Arsenal at the Maradona.

That operation, and a failed fitness test for Anguissa, have left Allegri with only four midfielders to choose from. His starting trio tonight — Gilmour, Lobotka and De Bruyne — have never played together before. Antonio Vergara, who started at San Siro on Saturday, makes way. There's a surprise up front too: Alisson Santos gets the nod on the wing ahead of Noa Lang, with Allegri banking on his pace against an Arsenal back line missing Saliba, with doubts over Timber and Mosquera. Kick-off is 21:00 CET, 20:00 in the UK, 15:00 on the East Coast.

Our view: a midfield thrown together at the last minute is a gamble against last season's Champions League finalists. Napoli have conceded five goals in their last two matches, the home defeat to Como and the collapse at Inter — as many as they've scored in Serie A all season. Nothing in today's team news suggests that changes tonight. The Maradona won't even be full: around 45,000 of the 54,726 tickets sold, with 1,500 Arsenal supporters expected in the city.

The papers are split on whose fault that is. Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport are rallying behind Allegri; La Repubblica is going back over the transfer window, from Di Lorenzo's contract to the Badiashile signing. We lean toward the second reading: with Anguissa out and Neres a doubt, nobody explains how a squad already stretched thin copes in September, whatever trust you put in the head coach. Trust and doubt about the squad aren't opposites.

One bright note: Vergara has earned his first senior Italy call-up from Roberto Mancini, for Nations League games against Belgium, France and Turkey, alongside Di Lorenzo, Meret and Politano.

That's Napoli Tonight for tonight. Every story, in full, at arenarete dot com slash napoli slash e n. Back tomorrow evening at eight o'clock CET.