The two Napoli players had to leave the match against Sassuolo early. They will undergo tests on Monday

Nearly a whole team out, at the first crucial turning point of the season. The crisis at Napoli continues, and is getting worse with every match. No Champions League for Politano and Rrahmani, as was already clear last night. But pending tomorrow’s tests, the outlook is very bleak even ahead of the Juventus match, where there remains hope of at least bringing back Neres and Anguissa to the squad. Meanwhile, Conte takes stock of the absentees and finds himself short-handed for the Copenhagen match.

Stellini’s words—  Stellini’s appeal immediately after the match had already sounded the alarm: “We’re unlikely to get the long-term injured players back soon; we need new players to restore our rotation.” But the transfer market is frozen, and for Tuesday’s match, Conte won’t even be able to count on Mazzocchi and Marianucci, who have been excluded from the Champions League roster. So the list of unavailable players keeps growing, until it amounts to an entire team: Meret, Anguissa, Gilmour, De Bruyne, Rrahmani, Neres, Lukaku, Politano, Mazzocchi, and Marianucci. Ten potential starters who will be cheering from in front of the TV. For a European mission that already seems like a feat bordering on the impossible.