Napoli and Roma meet on Saturday, 24 October 2026, in Italian Serie A Matchday 8 with important absences and several unresolved fitness questions. Napoli have confirmed an injury to Alisson Santos, while Buongiorno, Favasuli and David Neres feature on Sky Sport Italia’s list of unavailable players. Roma’s Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala also appear on the injury list, while Lorenzo Pellegrini is now a major doubt after a muscular problem in the Champions League.
This preview is based on information available as of 21 October 2026, Italian local time. A club-confirmed injury, a media assessment and a predicted starting eleven are three different things. The matchday squad lists and official starting lineups have yet to be confirmed.
When and where is Napoli vs Roma?
Lega Serie A has scheduled Napoli vs Roma for 24 October at 18:00 in Naples (Europe/Rome, UTC+2 on that date), equivalent to 13:00 in Brasília (UTC-3). The match will be held at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in the eighth round of Serie A 2026/27. The league appointed Andrea Colombo as referee on 21 October, with Gianluca Aureliano as VAR official. The refereeing announcement confirms the fixture, not either lineup.
Which players could miss the game?
The table distinguishes players described as unavailable by Sky Sport Italia from those whose possible return still needs assessment. Recovery dates reported by the press are estimates, not medical clearance dates.
| Club | Player | Documented position as of 21 October |
|---|---|---|
| Napoli | Alisson Santos | Out of the projection: Napoli confirmed a Grade 2 biceps femoris strain on 19 October and said rehabilitation had begun. |
| Napoli | Alessandro Buongiorno | Listed as unavailable by Sky following a meniscus procedure; the outlet projects a return in 2027. |
| Napoli | Favasuli | Listed as unavailable by Sky because of a muscular injury, with recovery ongoing. |
| Napoli | David Neres | Listed as unavailable by Sky with a muscular injury and a projected return date. |
| Napoli | Antonio Vergara | Sky lists him among the absentees, but Napoli reported on 21 October that he trained partly with the group and partly individually; this is not clearance. |
| Roma | Mile Svilar | Listed as unavailable by Sky because of an issue affecting the fifth toe. |
| Roma | Manu Koné | Listed as unavailable; Gasperini reported a first-degree injury on 16 October and said recovery time was required. |
| Roma | Paulo Dybala | Listed as unavailable; Gasperini said on 19 October that another scan had shown a small injury, lengthening recovery. |
| Roma | Lorenzo Pellegrini | Expected to miss out according to Sky after a muscular problem against Slovan; further tests were due on 22 October, with no final diagnosis published at this cutoff. |
| Roma | Bryan Cristante | A different case: selected for Roma’s 20 October Slovan match and described by Gasperini as recovered, but his availability to play in Naples still needs confirmation. |
Why does Vergara taking part in training not make him available?
Napoli’s official training report dated 21 October says Vergara worked with his teammates for part of the session and trained separately for the rest. This indicates some participation in the recovery process, but it does not show that he completed an unrestricted session or was selected for Saturday. Alisson Santos, by contrast, has a club medical bulletin specifying the injury. The availability and recovery projections for Buongiorno, Favasuli and Neres are attributed here to Sky’s reporting, not presented as fresh official Napoli medical updates.
Is Pellegrini out, and can Cristante play?
Pellegrini left Roma’s match against Slovan Bratislava with a muscular problem. On 21 October, Sky treated his absence as likely and reported that tests were planned for Thursday the 22nd. Gasperini’s post-match comments showed concern over losing another player, but they do not replace the test results. Missing the Napoli match is therefore the expectation, without claiming a final diagnosis or fixed recovery timeline.
Cristante was included in Roma’s squad for the European match on 20 October, and Gasperini subsequently said the player had recovered. That is an improvement in availability, not confirmation that he will start or receive minutes against Napoli. The distinction matters because Sky’s list of doubts still mentioned his knee. In attack, Malen can return after serving a one-match suspension against Genoa; completing a ban does not guarantee a starting place.
What are the predicted lineups?
As one published forecast, the La Gazzetta dello Sport page accessed on 21 October displayed the following projection dated 20 October. These are predicted elevens, not official team sheets. Pellegrini’s subsequent injury is an additional reason to update Roma’s wider squad and substitute options.
Napoli (3-4-2-1): Meret; Beukema, Rrahmani, Badiashile; Di Lorenzo, Gilmour, Lobotka, Spinazzola; Giovane, McTominay; Højlund. Head coach: Massimiliano Allegri.
Roma (3-4-2-1): Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Wesley, De Roon, Pisilli, Molina; Mora, Soulé; Malen. Head coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.
The names are grouped by lines to present a media projection. Wing-back positioning, tactical decisions and fresh injuries can change it before kick-off.
Are either team facing suspensions for Matchday 8?
In the version of its predicted-lineup page consulted, La Gazzetta dello Sport listed no suspended players for either Napoli or Roma. Malen had served a one-match ban in the previous round against Genoa and is being considered an option again. Disciplinary availability is different from medical fitness and should be checked against the disciplinary records and final squad lists before the match.
What needs to be checked again before Saturday?
- The results of Pellegrini’s tests and any Roma statements, together with Cristante’s actual match fitness.
- Vergara’s progress and the squads named by both clubs for Napoli vs Roma.
- The official starting lineups, generally released close to kick-off, which supersede every predicted eleven.
The key distinction is therefore not to count every named player as a definite absentee: the record includes confirmed injuries, reported unavailability and potential returns still under review. An update dated 21 October should not be passed off as confirmation of who will take the field on 24 October.
Sources and references
- Lega Serie A: eighth-round schedule and referees, 21 October 2026
- Lega Serie A: Napoli vs Roma match page, venue and round
- Napoli: Alisson Santos medical update, 19 October 2026
- Napoli: training report of 21 October 2026
- Roma: Gasperini press conference on Koné and Cristante, 16 October 2026
- Roma: Gasperini press conference on Dybala and Cristante, 19 October 2026
- Roma: squad named to face Slovan Bratislava, 20 October 2026
- Roma: Gasperini post-Slovan interview, 20 October 2026
- Sky Sport Italia: eighth-round injury and absence report, updated 21 October 2026
- La Gazzetta dello Sport: Napoli vs Roma predicted lineups, accessed 21 October (displayed projection dated 20 October)
