UEFA rules will allow David Ospina to play for Napoli against Arsenal in their Europa League quarter-final clash, but whether he will is another matter.
Generally, when you loan out a player in England, there are rules to prevent them from playing against you when the two teams meet. Calum Chambers is currently spending the season with Fulham, for example, but he was forced to sit out of the squad for the two games against Arsenal earlier in the campaign.
It’s different in UEFA competition though. Thibaut Courtois played against Chelsea whilst with Atletico Madrid, and David Ospina would be free to play against Arsenal with Napoli. According to Mark Mann-Bryans of Press Association Sport, the goalkeeper would need to get the permission of Arsenal first though.
David Ospina could play against #AFC in the Europa League. On loan at Napoli but same rule which blocks such situations in Prem doesn't exist in UEFA competition. Courtois played against Chelsea while at Atletico Madrid. Would need #AFC permission to play, though…
— Mark Mann-Bryans (@MarkyMBryans) March 15, 2019
Whether he gets that permission or not, it’s unlikely Ospina is going to feature for his loan side in the clash. He’s playing second fiddle to Alex Meret at the moment, and he hasn’t appeared for a single minute of Napoli’s four Europa League knockout games so far.
In total, Ospina has made 20 appearances this season and kept seven clean sheets. He’s only five away from hitting the 25 games played he needs to activate Napoli’s compulsory purchase clause, turning his loan into a permanent transfer. We’ll see if he reaches that total in the next couple of months.