Arsenal and Napoli are both missing multiple players for their first match in the league phase of this season's Champions League, as injuries are already biting

Several players may miss Arsenal's Champions League match against Napoli due to injury. The Gunners continue to deal with multiple absences in their squad, while the Serie A side also have a similar number of setbacks to contend with.

Mikel Arteta was sent off the last time Arsenal played a Champions League match in Naples, with Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon firing Rafael Benítez's team to a 2-0 win in December 2013. However, they have won in Campania since.

Unai Emery guided them to a 1-0 win during the Europa League semi-finals in 2019. Arteta will hope to right the wrongs of nearly 13 years ago tonight.

However, the Gunners remain without William Saliba. He is still recovering from a back injury sustained while on international duty with France during the summer's World Cup.

Cristhian Mosquera has, meanwhile, been nursing a muscle problem over the past week, which forced the centre-back to sit out Arsenal's Premier League victory over Chelsea at the weekend. Arteta, however, hinted that the decision to leave Mosquera out of the matchday squad at Emirates Stadium was largely precautionary.

Arteta said: "He had a muscular issue. We think it is not too much, but we need to wait and see in the next few days how it evolves."

Jurrien Timber is yet to pull on an Arsenal shirt this season following minor surgery during the summer. However, he has been putting in the hard yards on the training pitch ahead of this week's fixture.

Arteta offered an encouraging update on Timber's fitness last week when quizzed about the Netherlands international's rehabilitation. The Arsenal boss said: "He's in really good condition at the moment, he's been a few weeks on the pitch and has been training with us, so he's in a really good place."

Napoli will also be missing several key figures when they host Arsenal. Scott McTominay, notably, is ruled out.

The Serie A heavyweights confirmed on Tuesday that the former Manchester United star came through successful surgery on a minor heart problem and is expected to spend two weeks recuperating before returning to training.

"On Tuesday morning, Scott McTominay underwent an ablation procedure at Spire Manchester Hospital. The operation was a complete success," Napoli confirmed in a statement on Tuesday. "McTominay will rest for two weeks and then resume training."

Napoli will further be deprived of Luca Marianucci, who sustained a knee injury during pre-season and is set for a stint on the treatment table. Giovane underwent a hernia operation earlier in the summer and remains sidelined, while Alessandro Buongiorno is also unavailable owing to a knee injury.