Club Brugge enter their upcoming Champions League match against Juventus with renewed defensive options after coach Nicky Hayen welcomed back Joaquin Seys from a hamstring injury. The young full-back’s return creates additional competition for starting positions with Bjorn Meijer and Maxim De Cuyper vying for the left flank.
The Belgian side has undergone significant squad changes, with several players departing including Andreas Skov Olsen, who signed for Wolfsburg, and the releases of Philip Zinckernagel, Dedryck Boyata, and Kamal Sowah.
Raphael Onyedika and experienced midfielder Hans Vanaken are expected to anchor the midfield, with either Gustav Nilsson or Ferran Jutgla leading the attack.
Juventus bring intrigue to the match with the potential first start of 2025 for Dusan Vlahovic, who has been impressive in Champions League play with eight goals in 12 appearances. However, the team faces challenges with Kenan Yildiz’s adductor injury potentially sidelining him alongside long-term absentees Arkadiusz Milik, Juan Cabal, and Bremer.
Manager Thiago Motta will be hoping to reintegrate Francisco Conceicao after a four-game absence, though the team has hardly missed a beat with Samuel Mbangula’s breakthrough performances continuing to shine.
Club Brugge (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Sabbe, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper; Onyedika, Jashari; Vetlesen, Vanaken, Skoras; Jutgla
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; McKennie, Kalulu, Gatti, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Gonzalez, Koopmeiners, Mbangula; Vlahovic
