Juventus head coach Igor Tudor apparently doesn’t have a place for Douglas Luiz in his tactical scheme.
In what has been an anomalous campaign for the Serie A giants, Thiago Motta only lasted eight months before being shown the door in March on the back of a horrendous run, with Tudor coming in as a replacement.
Hence, the Bianconeri shifted from a manager who deployed a 4-2-3-1 system to one who adopts a three-man backline.
This radical tactical change expectedly had a drastic effect on a host of players. While the likes of Kenan Yildiz, Nico Gonzalez and Khephren Thuram seem to be much more at ease, others have been left out.
For instance, Francisco Conceicao lost his regular starting spot, as Tudor finds him ill-suited to his 3-4-2-1 formation which doesn’t include out-and-out wingers.
But according to IlBianconero, the young Portuguese isn’t alone in his regard, as Douglas Luiz finds himself on the same boat.
The Brazil international was one of the club’s biggest acquisitions last summer. He was signed from Aston Villa in a swap deal that included Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior. The operation cost the Bianconeri more than 50 million euros.
However, Luiz has yet to hit his stride in Turin. Every time he appeared to be building some momentum, he got derailed by injuries.
But while Motta had clear plans for his compatriot, it appears that Tudor considers him inapt to his system, preferring to deploy players who add physicality and energy to the middle of the park, mainly Thuram, Manuel Locatelli and Weston McKennie.
Hence, the source believes Douglas’ absence isn’t entirely related to his physical condition, but is rather a technical choice on the manager’s part.
That being said, Tudor expressed his appreciation for the Brazilian’s professionalism in a recent press conference, and the report insists the two men enjoy a good relationship, and they are often seen chatting in training.
