Juventus continues to grapple with injury concerns as they prepare for their upcoming match with Como. With first-choice centre-back Pierre Kalulu sidelined due to a muscular injury, recent acquisition Renato Veiga stepped in for his debut last weekend. The Chelsea loanee’s solid performance suggests he may retain his place in the starting lineup for Friday’s fixture.
The Bianconeri’s defensive woes are compounded by the ongoing absences of Bremer, Juan Cabal, and Arkadiusz Milik, while Andrea Cambiaso is still recovering from an ankle problem. However, there’s a silver lining as new signing Lloyd Kelly is expected to be available following his move from Newcastle United.
Manager Thiago Motta faces a dilemma in attack. Top scorer Dusan Vlahovic, who has been relegated to the bench recently, made an impact as a second-half substitute last week, scoring his first league goal of 2025 alongside Randal Kolo Muani. The latter has hit the ground running with three goals in two appearances, potentially becoming the first Juventus player this century to score in his first three Serie A matches.
Meanwhile, Como have been active in the transfer market, bringing in several new faces. Despite these additions, including Greek forward Anastasios Douvikas, their main attacking threat remains Nico Paz. The Real Madrid loanee has been in scintillating form, scoring in each of his last four home games and leading the league in successful dribbles.
Como will be without suspended Alieu Fadera and injured players Alberto Moreno, Sergi Roberto, Alessandro Gabrielloni, and Ignace Van der Brempt. New signing Mergim Vojvoda is also unavailable. The club’s ambitious mid-season recruitment has seen the arrivals of Maxence Caqueret, Alex Valle, Assane Diao, and Jonathan Ikone, while struggling striker Andrea Belotti has been loaned out to Benfica.
Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Engelhardt, Goldaniga, Dossena, Valle; Perrone, Caqueret; Strefezza, Paz, Diao; Cutrone
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Veiga, McKennie; Locatelli, Thuram; Gonzalez, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Kolo Muani
