This Sunday, Juventus will host Lazio in the biggest Serie A showdown of the weekend, but several Bianconeri stars will miss the game through injury.
The Background
Luciano Spalletti’s men started their campaign on a slow note, having only picked up 11 points from the first six rounds. This is partly due to the injury bug that has hit the squad since the start of the season, depriving the manager of some of his most influential players.
Juventus Remain Without Kenan Yildiz
According to La Lazio Siamo Noi, seven Juventus players won’t be available for Sunday’s game against Gennaro Gattuso’s high-flying band. The most notable name on the list is the Bianconeri’s ultimate star, Kenan Yildiz, who won’t return to action before November.
The Juventus Injury List
Juve are also missing the services of their captain, Manuel Locatelli, who’s expected to remain on the sidelines until February. Spalletti will also be without his other key midfielder, Khephren Thuram, until January. Jeff Ekhator and Jeremie Boga should return in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, they remain on the list of absentees.
Lazio Can Go Far With Gattuso but Only if They Resolve Crippling Issue – Opinion
Finally, second-choice goalkeeper Kamil Grabara will miss the bulk of the campaign after suffering an ACL tear. Juventus have since replaced him with Neto, who has recently returned to the club as a free agent.
Lazio Set for Injury Boosts
Luckily for Lazio, their injury situation is much more manageable. Gattuso has recently recovered Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Danilo Cataldi, while Nicolo Rovella, Matteo Cancellieri, and Adam Marusic could make their return this weekend.
Only Albert Gudmundsson remains on the treatment table after dislocating his shoulder during Iceland’s UEFA Nations League game against Estonia. The attacker could remain out for several weeks.