Champions League line-ups: Napoli vs. Arsenal | OneFootball

Napoli start Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour in a reshuffled midfield, with Matteo Politano joining Rasmus Hojlund upfront against Arsenal in the Champions League opener, but Riccardo Calafiori is benched.

It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Massimiliano Allegri, Manager of Napoli, reacts during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on September 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

This has been a very difficult start to life under new coach Max Allegri, as after beating Genoa, they lost back-to-back Serie A matches against Como and Inter.

Choices are extremely limited, because Scott McTominay is out for at least a couple of months after undergoing heart surgery to correct a mild, benign arrhythmia.

Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa picked up a muscular problem against Inter and is also out of action, with Noa Lang, Alessandro Buongiorno, Luca Marianucci and Giovane.

MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Rasmus Hojlund of Napoli celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on September 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

David Neres was set to start, but he too is struggling with muscular issues, so Politano and Alisson Santos flank Hojlund.

The midfield choices are extremely limited, so Billy Gilmour and De Bruyne finally get their first starts of the season, the Scotland international so far making just one 11-minute substitute appearance.

NAPLES, ITALY – MAY 11: Billy Gilmour of Napoli during the Serie A match between Napoli and Genoa at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on May 11, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for the Premier League title last season and pushed Paris Saint-Germain to penalties in the Champions League Final too.

Mikel Arteta has made the Gunners into a solid defensive unit, with many of their goals coming from set play situations, and they’ve won all three Premier League games this term.

Italy international Calafiori is used in central defence for the Nazionale, but Arsenal prefer him as a left-back, only tonight he is left on the bench.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 06: Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal celebrates after scoring a goal which was later disallowed during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC at Emirates Stadium on September 06, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

William Saliba misses out, with Jurrien Timber and Cristhian Mosquera not quite at 100 per cent either.

Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze support surprise choice of centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres, as Kai Havertz and impressive summer signing Christos Tzolis are dropped.

These teams last met in the 2019 Europa League quarter-finals, Arsenal winning home and away for 3-0 on aggregate.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 06: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, reacts with Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC at Emirates Stadium on September 06, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Napoli vs. Arsenal line-ups

Napoli: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Rafa Marin, Olivera; Gilmour, Lobotka, De Bruyne; Politano, Hojlund, Alisson Santos

Napoli bench: Contini, Milinkovic-Savic, Favasuli, Badiashile, Neres, Lucca, Vergara, Beukema, Spinazzola

Arsenal: Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Hincapié; Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Eze; Gyokeres

Arsenal bench: Arrizabalaga, Meslier, Tzolis, Madueke, Havertz, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Bruno Guimaraes, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman, Salmon

Ref: Nyberg (SWE)