Why Bruno Guimaraes Isn’t Playing for Arsenal vs. Napoli

Mikel Arteta made some head-turning team decisions for Arsenal’s Champions League opener against Napoli on Wednesday.

The Gunners made the trip to Italy just days after extending their perfect start to the 2026–27 season with a 2–1 comeback victory over Chelsea at the weekend. The defending Premier League champions will hope to translate their winning ways to the Champions League, but they will be without a few noteworthy faces in the starting XI at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Arteta made four changes to the lineup that bagged three points against the Blues on Sunday. Kai Havertz made way up top for Viktor Gyökeres, while Eberechi Eze replaced Christos Tzolis on the left wing.

In midfield, Mikel Merino got the nod alongside Declan Rice, sending Myles Lewis-Skelly to the bench, where Bruno Guimarães remains amid fitness concerns. The final change comes on the left flank, with Arteta preferring Piero Hincapié to Riccardo Calafiori on the night.

All four new additions will make their first starts of the season.

Arsenal Confirmed Lineup vs. Napoli

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Hincapié; Rice, Merino; Saka, Ødegaard, Eze; Gyökeres.

Substitutes: Illan Meslier (GK), Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Marli Salmon, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori, Bruno Guimarães, Martín Zubimendi, Max Dowman, Christos Tzolis, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke.

Arteta’s Changes Come With Risks

Viktor Gyökeres gets the nod for the first time this season. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Arsenal have gotten their season off to a cruising start. While Arteta’s elite defense typically gets most of the credit, Havertz’s resurgence is a massive reason why the Gunners have secured four wins in four games.

The German has scored three goals in his four starts, finding the back of the net against Manchester City in the Community Shield, and then against Coventry City and Chelsea in the Premier League. Now, Havertz will watch from the bench as a struggling Gyökeres tries to lead the line.

It’s a big gamble for Arteta to start the Swede in such a massive Champions League match. Gyökeres has played just 27 minutes this season and looked poor in both cameo appearances. Now, he must spearhead the attack in a hostile environment on a European night.

Eberechi Eze gets his first start of the season. | Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

Gyökeres will have the help of Eze, who will be desperate for Champions League redemption after missing a penalty in the final last season against Paris Saint-Germain. He too has underwhelmed in his limited minutes this season, while Tzolis already has three assists to his name.

Eze won’t have the help of Calafiori down the left flank. The Italy international, who has had a sensational start to the campaign, gets his first rest of the season for the more defense-minded Hincapié.

Then there’s Merino. The Spaniard is playing in his natural position after so many starts as a makeshift striker last season, but his inclusion keeps blockbuster summer signing Guimarães out of the fray. It’s a worrying sign that perhaps the knock the Brazilian suffered against Aston Villa is more serious than initially thought.

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