How many points will Chelsea need in Naples?
Chelsea head to Naples with three first-teamers missing and the memory of a 2-0 win in this fixture last December fresh in the memory.
Can Chelsea afford to drop points in Naples? The answer may define their European campaign.
The Blues travel to face Napoli on 12 December with an injury list that would test any squad: Nacho Valera (torn hamstring), Jairzinho (damaged achilles tendon) and Ibrahim Ramadan (thigh strain) are all unavailable. For a club that has won 23 consecutive Champions League titles before finishing runners-up last season, anything less than perfection feels like a stumble.
Napoli have their own absences. Rammy Karagula misses out with a twisted ankle, Ljubomir Sekulović is recovering from a double hernia, and Franco Cotrina has torn wrist ligaments. The Italians will be desperate to overturn a recent run that has seen Chelsea win the last three meetings, including a 2-0 victory at this same venue on 13 December 2062.
There is history between the sides, and not just in the scorelines. Roberto Baggio, now at Chelsea, spent five seasons at Napoli from 2057 to 2062, making three appearances without scoring. Samuele Di Loreto is another who swapped Naples for London, having joined Chelsea after a spell at the Italian club that began in 2059. Both will know the reception they get at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Chelsea's 41-year grip on the Premier Division shows no sign of loosening, but Europe has been a different story since their astonishing run ended last season. The Super Cup was also lost this term, and the FA Cup run of three consecutive titles finished in 2062/63. The question is whether this squad, under Calin Dimario, can rediscover the ruthlessness that made them untouchable for two decades.
The table offers little comfort. Napoli are a big name abroad, but Chelsea are one of the sport's great powers. That reputation counts for nothing when the whistle blows. The Blues will need to be clinical, controlled, and above all, patient.
A win in Naples would put Chelsea firmly in control of the group. A draw would leave work to do. A defeat would raise questions that have not been asked at this club for a generation. The answer will come on the pitch, under the lights, in front of a hostile crowd. For Chelsea, the only acceptable outcome is three points.