**Mikel Arteta could make two changes to his Arsenal starting XI for Wednesday’s Champions League opener against Napoli, with Martin Zubimendi pushing for a midfield recall after Sunday’s win over Chelsea.**
Arsenal travel to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona only three days after their 2-1 London derby victory, forcing Arteta to balance momentum with the demands of a tight turnaround.
Jurrien Timber is approaching a return, Cristhian Mosquera remains a doubt and Bruno Guimaraes is back in contention, giving Arteta several significant decisions before the 8pm BST kick-off.
Our [Napoli vs Arsenal TV guide](https://readarsenal.com/2026/09/07/napoli-vs-arsenal-tv-channel-live-stream-kick-off-time/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) has the UK channel, live-stream and kick-off information for Arsenal’s first European game of the season.
There is little reason to change goalkeeper.
Raya produced an important late save from Estêvão against Chelsea and remains comfortably Arsenal’s first choice.
Kepa Arrizabalaga provides experienced Champions League cover, but rotation in goal would be unnecessary for such a difficult opening fixture.
Timber has returned to first-team training after undergoing minor surgery during the summer, but Sunday’s Chelsea fixture still came too soon.
Arteta said before the derby that Timber was in **“really good condition”**, although he was ultimately left out of the squad. The Evening Standard lists Napoli as a possible return date, but after such a long absence Arsenal may prefer to introduce him from the bench.
White should therefore retain his place.
Konsa’s full Arsenal debut could hardly have gone much better.
The summer signing started alongside Gabriel against Chelsea despite having completed only a handful of training sessions, subsequently earning significant praise from Arteta.
Mosquera’s muscular issue remains the major selection variable.
Arteta said after Chelsea that Arsenal believe the problem is **“not too much”**, but conceded they must wait to see how it develops over the coming days.
Unless Mosquera makes a rapid recovery, Konsa deserves to continue.
With William Saliba still a long-term absentee, Gabriel remains essential to Arsenal’s defence.
His physicality will also be important against Rasmus Højlund, who has scored in Napoli’s last two Serie A matches.
There is little case for resting him in the opening Champions League fixture.
**First predicted change.**
Riccardo Calafiori played the full Chelsea game and has started all three Premier League matches so far.
That creates an obvious opportunity for Hincapie.
The Ecuador international gives Arteta a relatively natural rotation without significantly altering Arsenal’s defensive structure, while also offering Champions League experience.
Sports Mole also predicts Hincapie could replace Calafiori purely to manage workloads during the short turnaround.
**Second predicted change.**
Zubimendi was a late substitute against Chelsea but should be among the strongest candidates to return to the starting XI in Naples.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has performed well in the deeper role, but asking him to start again only three days after a demanding London derby may be unnecessary when Arsenal possess this level of midfield depth.
Zubimendi’s ability to dictate possession could also be particularly useful away from home.
Napoli have shown signs of losing control when games become stretched, something we examine in our analysis of **Napoli’s recent form before facing Arsenal**.
Rice should stay.
Arteta has alternatives in Bruno Guimaraes and Mikel Merino, but an away Champions League opener at Napoli is not the fixture to remove one of Arsenal’s most important midfielders without a clear fitness reason.
Guimaraes was fit enough to make Sunday’s bench after suffering a knock at Aston Villa but remained unused.
That suggests he should be available in Naples, although the Standard reports Arsenal deliberately avoided taking a risk with the Brazilian against Chelsea.
A place among the substitutes again looks more likely than an immediate start.
Another straightforward selection.
Saka remains Arsenal’s biggest one-versus-one threat and Napoli’s defensive problems make his matchup particularly attractive.
Arteta can manage his minutes later if Arsenal establish control.
Ødegaard produced arguably his best performance of the new season against Chelsea.
The captain scored the winning goal and Arteta subsequently said his confidence is among the highest he has seen.
Removing him immediately after that performance would make little sense.
Napoli’s midfield will also test Arsenal’s ability to play through pressure, making Ødegaard’s technical security particularly important.
This is probably the hardest attacking decision.
Eberechi Eze continues to push strongly for his first major run of starts, but Tzolis has given Arteta very little reason to remove him.
He played the pass which eventually led to Ødegaard’s Chelsea winner and continues to provide direct running from the left.
Arteta resisted calls to start Eze on Sunday.
After another victory, I think he does so again.
Viktor Gyokeres may have expected Champions League football to provide his first Arsenal start, but Havertz’s performance against Chelsea has complicated that considerably.
The German scored the equaliser and then played a crucial role in Ødegaard’s winner by deliberately allowing Tzolis’ pass to run through him.
Gyokeres remains a major option, particularly against a Napoli defence which has conceded five times across its last two matches.
But after Havertz delivered against Chelsea, dropping him three days later would be difficult to justify.
Sports Mole similarly expects Arteta to keep his attacking quartet intact.
**Formation: 4-2-3-1**
**Raya**
**White – Konsa – Gabriel – Hincapie**
**Zubimendi – Rice**
**Saka – Odegaard – Tzolis**
**Havertz**
Kepa, Calafiori, Timber, Mosquera if fit, Eze, Gyokeres, Guimaraes, Merino, Lewis-Skelly, Madueke and other eligible UEFA options.
The biggest questions remain Timber and Mosquera.
Timber is closing in on his comeback, while Arteta hopes Mosquera’s muscular injury will prove minor. Their involvement in Arsenal’s final sessions before travelling should provide the clearest indication yet of whether either can make the matchday squad.
Arsenal’s complete European options are covered in our Champions League guide, while the [Champions League fixtures hub](https://readarsenal.com/arsenal-champions-league-fixtures/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) tracks every league-phase game.
Arteta has spent the summer building precisely this kind of squad depth.
Naples should provide the first real opportunity to use it.