This evening, Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli is expected to start on the bench in the ultra-anticipated Derby d’Italia against Inter.
As reported this morning, Thiago Motta will likely field a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Khephren Thuram operating in front of the backline. Teun Koopmeiners will play further up the pitch alongside Weston McKennie as the trio battle it out against Simone Inzaghi’s superb midfield unit of Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Hence, the expected absence of the newly-appointed skipper raised many eyebrows, as the 26-year-old has been an integral member of the lineup since the start of the season, and one who would have envisioned him leading the charge against Juve’s blood rivals.
So what’s behind Locatelli’s surprising omission?
According to Tuttosport via JuventusNews24, Motta has decided to make this choice due to Douglas Luiz’s injury.
The Brazilian has been showing great signs of improvement as of late, cementing himself as a viable alternative for Locatelli in the Regista role. Sadly for the former Aston Villa man, he’s currently suffering from muscle fatigue, derailing his momentum at the worst possible moment.
So with only one option remaining for the deep-lying playmaker role, Motta has decided to preserve Locatelli, especially with a decisive clash against PSV Eindhoven coming up in three days. The Bianconeri took a slim advantage by beating the Dutch champions 2-1 at home in the first leg, but they must book their ticket to the Round of 16 next Wednesday in the Netherlands.
Therefore, Motta has opted for different options in the middle of the park, but we can still expect Locatelli to make some contribution in the second half of the Derby d’Italia.
Juventus Probable XI (4-1-4-1): De Gregorio; Weah, Gatti, Veiga, Savona; Thuram; Conceicao, McKennie, Koopmeiners, Nico Gonzalez; Kolo Muani.
