Juventus manager Thiago Motta finds himself in a challenging situation as his team prepares for their upcoming fixture. The Bianconeri are grappling with a severe injury crisis, forcing Motta to travel with a squad of just 17 players, including three goalkeepers.
The Turin giants are particularly thin in attack, with star striker Dusan Vlahovic racing against time to recover from a thigh issue. His backup, Arkadiusz Milik, is sidelined until next year, leaving winger Timothy Weah as a potential makeshift striker.
Juventus’ defensive and midfield options are equally depleted. The South American contingent of Juan Cabal, Bremer, Nico Gonzalez, and Douglas Luiz are all unavailable due to various injuries. Additionally, Weston McKennie and young full-back Nicolo Savona are major doubts for the match.
Given the limited options, Motta may have to rely on Francisco Conceicao, Teun Koopmeiners, and the promising Kenan Yildiz to support the lone striker. Notably, Yildiz, along with Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu, holds the distinction of being one of the two youngest players to score three or more goals in Serie A this season.
Meanwhile, Juventus’ opponents are also dealing with their own injury concerns. Lecce will be without Lameck Banda until January due to an ankle injury. Manager Marco Giampaolo is also missing Medon Berisha, Kevin Bonifazi, and Balthazar Pierret.
In Banda’s absence, Santiago Pierotti and former Milan forward Ante Rebic are competing for a starting berth alongside Dorgu and Nikola Krstovic. Interestingly, Rebic has a strong record against Juventus, having been directly involved in four Serie A goals against them, averaging one goal involvement every 60 minutes.
Lecce (4-2-3-1): Falcone; Guilbert, Gaspar, Baschirotto, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani; Dorgu, Rafia, Pierotti; Krstovic
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Danilo, Kalulu, Gatti, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Weah
