Napoli are facing a midfield crisis ahead of their Champions League opener against Arsenal on Wednesday. Both Scott McTominay and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa are unavailable, leaving coach Massimiliano Allegri with limited options. McTominay underwent surgery for an irregular heartbeat on Tuesday, while Anguissa has a physical issue.

Despite the setbacks, Allegri insists he will stick with his favored 4-3-3 formation. "There will be a change of system, absolutely not. I've only got four midfielders, so three of them will start," he said during his pre-match news conference. The quartet includes Kevin De Bruyne, Billy Gilmour, Stanislav Lobotka, and Antonio Vergara.

Napoli, the defending Serie A champions, have had a rocky start to the season, with consecutive defeats to Como and Inter Milan after an opening-day victory over Genoa. Allegri is looking for a reset in Europe, where they were eliminated in the league phase last season after finishing 30th.

"Tomorrow is a different competition from Serie A, a sort of mini-league where we need 12 points to secure qualification for the next round," Allegri said. He acknowledged the challenge posed by Arsenal, who finished runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain last year and have a well-organized defense under Mikel Arteta.