Napoli face a do-or-die Champions League encounter with Chelsea on Wednesday, as the Italian side teeters on the edge of elimination amid a severe injury crisis and a faltering Serie A title defence.

The Partenopei sit just inside the elimination zone with only eight points from seven group matches following last week’s disappointing 1-1 draw at FC Copenhagen. A victory against Chelsea is now essential for Napoli to secure a place in next month’s play-offs.

However, the task will be far from straightforward. Chelsea, managed by Antonio Conte’s former club, also need a win to stay in the top eight of the group and secure direct qualification to the round of 16.

Napoli come into the game bruised after a 3-0 defeat at Juventus on Sunday, leaving the reigning Italian champions nine points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan. The loss in Turin was a harsh reminder of the challenges Conte faces, with injuries decimating his squad.

“Before today, the last match we’d lost was against Udinese on December 14. We even won the Italian Super Cup in an emergency, an emergency which has got even worse,” Conte told DAZN. “The boys need big support from the fans. We’re going through a difficult period, and I expect the fans to get behind the team.”

Conte’s ambition to become the first Napoli coach to secure back-to-back Serie A titles has been hampered by physical setbacks from the very start of the season. Romelu Lukaku, for example, suffered a hamstring injury in pre-season and only returned to action for the final 11 minutes against Juventus.

In Sunday’s match, Lukaku replaced academy graduate Antonio Vergara, who filled in for Italy international Matteo Politano. New signing Giovane also made his debut as a substitute, with Conte admitting he hadn’t even seen the player train before the match.

Napoli’s injury woes extend further. Goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic is sidelined with a hamstring injury, winger David Neres underwent ankle surgery in London on Monday and is expected to be out until April. Midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa remain unavailable due to hamstring and back injuries, respectively.

“We know that we’re navigating in open waters with very high waves, but we’re not getting off the boat,” Conte said. “We’re still here, made stronger by the fact that we want to keep fighting with all our might, even with the absurd situation we’re in. These boys are serious—they’re giving everything, risking their physical health, playing every three days without proper training, and still performing at high intensity because we can’t rotate the squad.”

Amid the challenges, there is a silver lining: Lukaku’s return. The Belgium striker replaces De Bruyne in Napoli’s European squad, offering a chance to make amends for his disappointing spell at Chelsea four years ago.

Last season, 11 points were enough to avoid elimination from the group stage. A win on Wednesday would likely secure Napoli’s progression and offer much-needed relief to a squad stretched to its limits.