Napoli await Alex Meret scan results after Arsenal defeat

Napoli manager Massimiliano Allegri says the club must wait for medical tests before assessing the seriousness of Alex Meret’s injury, while he expects Alisson Santos to be unavailable for a period of time.

Meret was substituted at half-time during Napoli’s Champions League opening-match defeat by Arsenal at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. The goalkeeper suffered an injury to the adductor muscle in his left thigh and was replaced by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic at the start of the second half.

Alisson Santos also had to leave the pitch because of an injury later in the match, adding to Napoli’s concerns as they began their European campaign with a number of players already absent.

“I’m not sure about Meret; we have to see what the tests say,” Allegri told Amazon Prime.

He added: “I think we will be without Alisson Santos for some time.”

Napoli had gone into the match missing Scott McTominay, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Alessandro Buongiorno, Luca Marianucci and Giovanni. Noa Lang was unavailable through suspension, while David Neres was named among the substitutes.

Milinkovic-Savic had been Napoli’s first-choice goalkeeper last season under Antonio Conte, but lost his place to Meret this term. His appearance against Arsenal was his first for the club since Allegri took charge.

The match also marked the first starts of the season for Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour. Both players completed the game, which lasted 94 minutes.

Napoli’s next fixture is against Bologna in Serie A. The club will monitor the condition of Meret and Alisson Santos before determining whether either player will be fit to feature.