Juventus midfielder Teun Koopmeiners is tipped to pull off a comeback against Udinese, while two of his teammates will be pushing for swift recoveries.
The 27-year-old has been out of action since picking up an Achilles tendon injury during the win over Lecce last month.
This was an untimely blow given that the Dutchman was enjoying what many described as his best outing of the season, especially after breaking the deadlock in the second minute.
Juventus should recover Teun Koopmeiners for Udinese match
Koopmeiners had been expected to return earlier, but wasn’t able to shake off this injury.
Nevertheless, after one month on the sidelines, La Gazzetta dello Sport (via JuventusNews24) believes he’ll rejoin Igor Tudor’s squad for the club’s contest against Udinese in the penultimate round of the season.
This will be a crucial fixture for the Bianconeri who must win their two remaining Serie A fixtures in order to prevail in the thrilling race for fourth place. They would also need a favour from Atalanta who are hosting Roma on Monday evening.
Although Koopmeiners has been enduring a miserable first campaign in Turin, his return would come timely, especially considering the club’s selection woes.
Koopmeiners set for a new role?
The Netherlands international has often been deployed as an attacking midfielder, but Tudor might field him in a deeper role, especially with Khephren Thuram serving a one-match ban, and Manuel Locatelli potentially filling in as an emergency centre-back.
In addition to Koopmeiners, Andrea Cambiaso and Lloyd Kelly are also hoping to return to the fold this weekend.
However, the Italian full-back and the English defender would have to burn the stages and prove their fitness during the week.
But as things stand at the moment, neither Cambiaso nor Kelly are expected to be available for Sunday’s contest.
