What did we see yesterday- is Chelsea really getting it together? Or is Crystal Palace truly impoding that terribly? Maybe it’s a little from column A, and a little from column B. No matter the reality, it’s already time to move on to the next one, a trip to Napoli, for the UCL League Phase finale. New Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior will be hoping to get Cole Palmer and Filip Jorgensen back from injury for this one. And it’s critical that he does because this is a matchup of two sides trying to get/stay above an essential demarcation point.
UCL League Phase Finale
Matchday 8 of 8 Chelsea at Napoli
Kickoff: Wed Jan 28, 8pm, Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, formerly known as Stadio San Paolo
UCL Standing: Chelsea 8th, 13 pts Napoli 25th 8 pts
Win Probability: Chelsea win 42% Draw 27% Napoli win 31%
Chelsea are in the last playoff slot, so they need a result to guarantee that they stay there, and don’t fall into the playoff qualifiers grouping. Napoli, meanwhile, are in the top slot among those projected to be eliminated. They’re level on points with the last three teams in the playoff qualifier field, but behind on tiebreaker.
So they are now, literally, fighting to stave off elimination.
Centre-back Aaron Anselmino is leaving Borussia Dortmund and will return to Chelsea FC with immediate effect.
Thank you, Aaron, for your time at BVB and all the best for your future! ✊ pic.twitter.com/gf2TQ5GYmW
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) January 26, 2026
Blues Team News
Chelsea recalled central defender Aaron Anselmino back from his loan at Borussia Dortmund. However, he is not registered to them for this competition, and is thus ineligible to feature here. As for Palmer (thigh) and Jorgensen (undisclosed), both were basically 50/50 propositions ahead of the Palace win, with both missing out.
They’re in the same “touch and go” category again here, with Rosenior saying on Friday: “Cole (Palmer) is in a good place; he joined training today, which is really positive, and we will assess his reaction to training.”
In the same presser, Rosenior eyed this upcoming match, specifically, for his goalkeeper’s return, with the manager saying:
“Jorgensen had his scan, which is actually quite positive and not as bad as we feared. He won’t be available for Palace, but could be potentially for Napoli.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.