Juventus stars Dusan Vlahovic and Teun Koopmeiners are both pushing to make timely returns against Lazio on Saturday.
Both players have been out of action in recent weeks. The Dutch midfielder picked up an Achilles tendon issue during the win over Lecce, which saw him miss the club’s last three contests.
For his part, the Serbian striker suffered a physical problem during the defeat in Parma, ruling him out of the last two contests against Monza and Bologna.
Juventus desperate for reinforcement ahead of Lazio showdown
Although both players have been enduring a complicated campaign, Igor Tudor is desperate for reinforcement ahead of this weekend’s big showdown against Lazio, especially with the two clubs on par in points alongside Roma, while Bologna is only one point behind the trio.
Therefore, the importance of this weekend’s contest cannot be overstated, as a Champions League spot is hanging in the balance.
But according to La Gazzetta dello Sport via JuventusNews24, only one between Vlahovic and Koopmeiners is expected to recover in time.
Vlahovic in, Koopmeiners out
As the pink newspaper explains, the Serbian bomber will likely be called up for the contest, unlike the Netherlands international who is facing additional time on the sidelines.
Koopmeiners is thus expected to remain on the list of absentees, with Andrea Cambiaso becoming the most recent addition after suffering a slight injury during the 1-1 draw against Bologna.
Federico Gatti is also unlikely to recover in time, even though his return to action is drawing closer. The same goes for Lloyd Kelly who remains unavailable.
Moreover, Arkadiusz Milik, Juan Cabal and Gleison Bremer are the long-term absentees, and none of them will be getting any playing time in the current Serie A campaign, although a return in the Club World Cup remains possible, albeit doubtful.
