Napoli will have only 13 players available for Wednesday’s Champions League match away to Porto, coach Massimiliano Allegri said, describing a difficult spell caused by a series of injuries. The game is scheduled to kick off at 9 p.m. local time, according to the report.
Allegri said the squad is so limited that training has been affected, explaining that there are not enough players to form a full circle for a keep-away drill. He nevertheless said Napoli remain confident of reaching the play-offs and stressed that the Porto match is important but not decisive.
The coach said Napoli’s qualification hopes would depend on the remaining fixtures against Club Brugge, Sabah and Viking, rather than the team’s upcoming match in Manchester, which he described as almost prohibitive. He added that reaching 10 points should be enough to secure at least a play-off place, while saying the domestic league remains the club’s main priority.
Allegri warned that Porto will pose a tough challenge, noting that they have won all their league matches and performed well in the Champions League. He also said Napoli must improve late in games, after being told the team had conceded 11 goals in the final half-hour of recent matches. “We either put in a performance of great resilience tomorrow or we’ll come away badly hurt,” he said.
Højlund has recovered from a fever and is available, Allegri said. De Bruyne’s status will be assessed after training. The coach said Napoli would continue working to recover injured players and try to turn around their recent run of inconsistent league results.
Sources: ANSA Sport.