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Chelsea are in good form under Liam Rosenior and face Napoli on Wednesday night looking to secure qualification to the Champions League last 16.
Rosenior replaced Enzo Maresca in the dugout earlier this month and has since won his last three games in charge, including a 1-0 win over Pafos that moved them up to eighth place in the Champions League.
A win in Naples would almost guarantee a top-eight finish, helping them bypass the knockout playoff round and secure automatic progression to the Champions League last 16.
They face a Napoli team that are led by former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who won a Premier League title and an FA Cup in a two-season stint at Stamford Bridge.
But Conte’s side currently sit 25th in the table following a 1-1 draw with 10-man Copenhagen in their last Champions League outing.
They may need to win against Chelsea to even make it to the play-offs, with only the top 24 teams qualifying for the knockout stages.
How to watch Napoli v Chelsea
Napoli v Chelsea kicks off at 20:00 (UK) on Wednesday, January 28 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. The game will be shown live on TNT Sports 4 and discovery+, with coverage starting from 18:30.
Napoli team news
Former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku made his first appearance of the season in Napoli’s 3-0 defeat to Juventus at the weekend, coming on as a substitute in the 79th minute.
But the striker is still building up his match fitness after recovering from a hamstring injury, and Rasmus Hojlund is expected to lead the line from the start.
Giovane made his Napoli debut against Juventus following his January move from Hellas Verona, but he is ineligible to feature against Chelsea as he was not registered in Napoli’s Champions League squad list back in September.
Lukaku could come off the bench once again, although Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour will definitely miss the reunion with their former club through injury.
Fellow midfielder Frank Anguissa is yet to return from a hamstring injury and Napoli will also be without first-choice goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic due to a similar issue.
David Neres is set for a spell on the sidelines after undergoing ankle surgery in London, while Matteo Politano and Amir Rrahmani are both doubts.
Napoli expected line-up
(3-4-2-1) Meret; Di Lorenzo, Jesus, Buongiorno; Gutierrez Lobotka McTominay Olivera; Vergara Elmas; Hojlund
Chelsea team news
Cole Palmer missed the recent wins over Pafos and Crystal Palace with a minor thigh injury, although he is expected to return to the squad for the game against Napoli.
But the England international has endured a stop-start season due to injury issues and may have to settle for a place on the bench.
Long-term absentees Levi Colwill, Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia remain out, while Tosin Adarabioyo is unavailable due to a hamstring injury.
Filip Jorgensen was substituted at half-time against Pafos and missed the Palace game but his injury is not as bad as first feared, and he could return to the squad against Napoli.
Andrey Santos will be pushing for another start in midfield following his impressive performance against Palace, with Fernandez staying in the No.10 role.
Chelsea expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Estevao Fernandez Neto; Pedro
Napoli v Chelsea stats
– Napoli have won seven and drawn one of their 10 European home games against English sides. Arsenal and Manchester City are the only two to have won at their stadium.
– One of those home wins was a 3-1 victory against Chelsea in the 2011-12 season, although the Blues won 4-1 at Stamford Bridge after extra time to progress to the quarter-finals.
– Antonio Conte has won just 28.5% of his seven games against Chelsea (W2 D2 L3).
– Scott McTominay has scored four of Napoli’s seven Champions League goals in 2025/26.
– Napoli are unbeaten at home in all competitions since a 1-0 defeat against Lazio in December 2024.
– Chelsea have scored in each of their last 22 European games since a 0-2 defeat to Real Madrid in April 2023.
– Chelsea are yet to win any of their away matches in the Champions League this season, losing against Bayern Munich and Atalanta while drawing with Qarabag.
– Chelsea have won just 14.2% of their 14 away European games in Italy (W2 D4 L8).
Napoli v Chelsea predictions
Despite Napoli’s long injury list and their poor form in recent weeks, this will still be a tough test for Rosenior’s Chelsea side.
A point could potentially suit both sides if other results on the night go in their favour, and a draw can be backed at 13/5.
Napoli’s three Champions League home games this season have seen just five goals in total and another tight game looks likely, with under 2.5 goals at 42/41.
If Napoli are to find the back of the net against Chelsea, McTominay will probably be involved.
He netted a brace the last time he started against Chelsea, and the Scotland international to score anytime is worth a bet at 15/4.
For Chelsea, Estevao is their top scorer in the Champions League this season with three goals and if you think he’ll make that four, the Brazil international can be backed at 4/1.
