Troubled Napoli staring at elimination against BluesAFP, MILAN, ItalySSC Napoli are on the brink of being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League as the troubled Italian club face Chelsea today racked by a deep injury crisis and a faltering Serie A title defense. Sat just inside the elimination zone on only eight points from seven matches after last week’s miserable 1-1 draw at Copenhagen, Napoli must beat Chelsea to scrape a place in next month’s playoffs. That will be no easy task with the Blues, Antonio Conte’s former club, needing a win to stay in the top eight and bag direct qualification for the last 16. SSC Napoli head coach Antonio Conte gestures during his side’s Serie A match against Juventus in Turin, Italy, on Sunday. It started with Romelu Lukaku suffering a hamstring injury which kept him out of action until the 79th minute of Sunday’s loss.

Source: Taipei Times January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC