Motta has several selection headaches ahead Juventus-Lazio: New roles for Yildiz & Fagioli?

Club News

October 14, 2024 - 10:00 am

Juventus coach Thiago Motta will be forced to shuffle his lineup when his team hosts Lazio on Saturday due to several absentees.

The Bianconeri will be without the injured Nico Gonzalez and the suspended Francisco Conceicao. Moreover, Teun Koopmeiners will likely miss out due to a fractured rib, while Weston McKennie returned early from international duty carrying a knock.

Despite Gleison Bremer’s devastating injury, Motta can rely on Pierre Kalulu and Federico Gatti at the back. But the rest of the field remains an open ballot.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Fabiana Della Valle, Motta will have three selection headaches to resolve.

The first is in the middle of the park, with several contenders vying for the double-pivot roles. Nevertheless, the source expects the manager to maintain Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram who remained at Continassa during the international break.

Douglas Luiz could be an alternative solution, but his recent displays suggest he’s behind in the pecking order.

While the Brazilian could be an option to replace Koopmeiners in the attacking-midfielder slot, Kenan Yildiz is the most likely candidate for the role.

However, if Motta decides to move the Turkish teenager to a more central role behind Dusan Vlahovic, it would leave two vacant spots on the wings.

On the left side, Nicolo Fagioli could be a surprise inclusion. The midfielder has already been tested as a left winger in the second half against Napoli.

As for the right flank, it remains to be seen if Timothy Weah will recover in time. Otherwise, Motta will rely on Andrea Cambiaso, with either Juan Cabal or Danilo taking the left-back role.