Arsenal Vs Napoli: Lorenzo Insigne the critical absentee

Lorenzo Insigne is dealing with a right adductor injury and is a doubt for the Europa League tie against Arsenal. His absence would be absolutely critical.

While a top-four finish is still the priority for Arsenal this season, as Unai Emery himself stated this week, progressing in the Europa League as a secondary avenue into next season’s Champions League and a chance at winning a trophy should still be a clear aim of the club.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Season in review; Summer window looms

Sadly for the Gunners, they drew perhaps the best team in the competition in the quarter-finals. Other than themselves and Chelsea, there certainly wasn’t a more daunting opponent than Napoli. But that is the luck of the draw.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Carlo Ancelotti’s side sit second in Serie A, the next best team in the division after the all-conquering Juventus, came very close to qualifying ahead of Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in the group stages of the Champions League, actually beating the former at home, and boast a plethora of dangerous players, including striker Dries Mertens and world-class centre-back, Kalidou Koulibally. This really was a disastrous draw.

However, it could be about to get a little easier. Prior to the international break, winger Lorenzo Insigne suffered right adductor injury. He subsequently sat out the international break and is set to miss this weekend’s match against Roma. According to Corriere dello Sport, Insigne suffered a setback during the international break, which is what has forced him out of action against Roma. This setback makes him a doubt for both legs against Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-finals.

Now, I should state that Ancelotti has since emphatically stated that Insigne is not a doubt for the Europa League quarter-final. However, even if Insigne is available for selection, which is far from certain at this stage, it would be surprising if he was at his sharpest.

Insigne is crucial to Napoli’s counter-attacking style. His 13 goals and seven assists are indicative of his attacking threat, but he provides much more with his speed, direct dribbling, and ability to break free of opposing presses down the flanks. He is a traditional, whippet-legged winger, the kind of player that Arsenal have had dire troubling dealing with in the past.

Whether he is available for selection or not remains to be seen. There is little under two weeks until the first leg and another week until the second leg. He still has time to complete his recovery. But just the fact that he will not be at his razor-sharp best is comforting, especially given his quick style of play.

This is a news story to keep an eye on. The two-legged tie against Napoli will be one of the biggest contests of the season. And no Insigne provides Arsenal with a substantially better chance of being victorious. That is not to be scoffed at.