Champions League live: Final matchday team news as Chelsea fans hospitalised after ‘incident’ – UK Times

Chelsea will be sweating on the fitness of Cole Palmer, who missed two games last week with a muscle strain. Liam Rosenior said on Sunday “he is not quite 100 per cent, but he’s got a chance” to return against Napoli.

Romeo Lavia and Levi Colwill are definite absentees, both with long-term injuries, while Dario Essugo and Tosin Adarabioyo are sidelined too and Filip Jorgensen is likely to miss out.

Napoli are without former Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku as he slowly returns from a thigh injury, with Billy Gilmour and Kevin de Bruyne joining him on the sidelines. Amir Rrahmani and Matteo Politano are both doubts with knocks.

Napoli XI: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Jesus, Buongiorno; Spinazzola, Lobotka, McTominay, Gutierrez; Vergara, Elmas; Hojlund

Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Badiashile, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Fernandez, Garnacho; Joao Pedro

Mikel Arteta is likely to rotate his Arsenal side, with chances given to a few of those on the fringes of the first team at the moment.

William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are absent, while Mikel Merino and Declan Rice will serve suspensions. Youngster Max Dowman is also injured.

Kairat could have 17-year-old talent Dastan Satpaev available. The Kazakh forward will join Chelsea in the summer.

Predicted Arsenal line-up

Kepa; White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Norgaard, Eze; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli.

It is not the whole picture, though; it cannot be, when they are sixth in the Premier League, 14 points off the pace. A long unbeaten run came to an end at Bournemouth on Saturday. It brought a chorus of criticism: the “outside noise”, as Arne Slot called it.

While also on the “unlucky for some” points tally of 13, last week’s shock defeat at Bodo/Glimt means Manchester City are far from certain for a top-eight finish. In 11th, they are the only English team starting the day outside of the last 16 qualification berths, while their goal difference of four is inferior to most of the 13-pointers.

Chelsea find themselves in a similar boat to Newcastle, though goal difference is playing less to their advantage.

Just inside the top eight with a goal difference of six, they face reigning Serie A champions Napoli on the final matchday, who themselves face a boom or bust scenario.

Napoli are at risk of becoming the highest-profile elimination from the league phase and need at least a point to ensure they make the play-offs.

Antonio Conte, returning to Stamford Bridge, will therefore be expected to throw everything at the Blues, which could be detrimental to their top-eight pursuit. Just like Newcastle, Chelsea need to match or better the results of the other 13-pointers.

To the 13-pointers we go, and Newcastle are one of three English teams to be sat on the precarious tally.

The Magpies start the day in seventh, above six of the eight teams on 13 points thanks to their superior goal difference of 10, but that will likely go in vain if they fail to get a result away to Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain – who are on identical points and goal difference to Eddie Howe’s side.

Simply put, Newcastle will need to match or better the results of the other clubs in that cohort, and hope their goal difference is enough to carry them through to the last 16. Otherwise, the play-offs await.

The walls are closing in on Thomas Frank but – assuming he doesn’t get sacked beforehand – he could go a step towards repairing his relationship with the fans by delivering a top-eight finish for the Europa League champions.

Sandwiching a win over Borussia Dortmund in between dismal league defeats to West Ham and Burnley, Spurs sit fifth and hold a one-point advantage over the mass of eight teams on 13 points.

They take on Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday knowing victory will seal their place in the last 16, while a draw may also be enough contingent on results elsewhere going their way.

Victory against Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag will guarantee a top-four finish, while a draw should be enough to finish in the top eight.

The Reds will be heavy favourites against significantly weaker opposition, though Qarabag do have something to play for.

They are 18th and any result should seal their participation in the play-offs – if they manage to pull off a stunning upset at Anfield, Liverpool’s top-eight fate will be completely out of their hands.

Arsenal top the league table with 21 points after winning every Champions League game up to this point, meaning they have already qualified for the last 16.

They take on Kazakh side Kairat Almaty, who are bottom of the table on one point, in what is effectively a dead rubber.

That’s because Bayern, the only team who can theoretically catch them, are three points behind them and would need a massive goal difference swing to see the Bavarians pip Arsenal to top spot.

Arsenal are already into the last-16 so they have am easy night.

Liverpool play the tricky Qarabag but are at home so should get something from the game.

That’s also the same for Man City though Galatasarary are stubborn opponents and City have the extra pressure of needing to win.

Tottenham’s trip to Eintracht Frankfurt is troubling, especially with their recent struggles, but Thomas Frank knows victory here could ease the pressure on him.

The hardest two matches are Chelsea and Newcastle’s.

For Chelsea, they travel to Naples and face the Serie A side in a hostile environment. For Newcastle, they go to Paris and the home of the current Champions League holders in PSG.

Both sides will need at least a draw to give themselves any chance of going through but more than likely they will need to win or else drop into the play-off positions.