Napoli in defensive crisis for Sporting CP after 2-1 Milan loss – Football Italia

Napoli fell to their first league defeat of the Serie A season in a 2-1 loss to Milan on Sunday evening, and now have an availability crisis in defence heading into their midweek test against Sporting CP in the Champions League. 

Napoli left with makeshift defence after 2-1 Milan loss

Napoli fell to a 2-1 defeat to Milan in San Siro on Sunday evening with goals from Christian Pulisic, Alexis Saelemaekers and Kevin De Bruyne. The result means that there are now three teams level on points at the top of the table: Milan, Napoli and Roma. 

Antonio Conte and his players will have to dust themselves off and regroup as quickly as possible, as they will host Sporting in the Champions League on Wednesday night. 

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, summer signing Sam Beukema is the only Napoli defender who is ‘guaranteed’ to play as things stand. 

Centre-backs Alessandro Buongiorno and Amir Rrahmani both remain unavailable through injury, while captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo is suspended after his first-half sending off against Manchester City last time out in the Champions League. 

Luca Marianucci, who started against Milan on Sunday, is not part of the club’s Champions League squad list and is therefore unavailable. 

Meanwhile, there are doubts as to whether Leonardo Spinazzola or Mathias Olivera will be able to recover in time to face Sporting on Wednesday.

As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, there is optimism surrounding the recovery of Spinazzola, who may have to cover out of position at right-back if he does make it back in time. 

Beukema is likely to play alongside Juan Jesus at centre-back given the lack of alternative options, while Miguel Gutierrez is in line to play again at left-back if Olivera does not recover in time.