Juventus are reportedly facing a major injury crisis as Thiago Motta may only have 17 outfielders for the big showdown against Inter.
The Bianconeri will travel to Milano to take on the reigning Italian champions at San Siro on Sunday night. This will be one of the most anticipated clashes of the Serie A campaign, but Juve will arrive to the clash in less-than-ideal shape.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Motta will only have 17 players at his disposal in addition to the goalkeepers, with Douglas Luiz joining the list of absentees.
As the pink newspaper explains, the Brazilian has luckily avoided an injury as revealed by the results of the tests conducted on Wednesday, nevertheless, the club are unlikely to risk him this weekend. The source expects the Bianconeri to adopt a cautious approach as was the case last weekend against Lazio when Weston McKennie returned with a scare from international duty.
Moreover, Teun Koopmeiners is unlikely to recover in time for the Derby d’Italia. The Dutchman suffered a fractured rib during the Champions League contest against RB Leipzig before the international break. He initially tried to shake it up but could only last for 45 minutes in the ensuing contest against Cagliari.
The newspaper reveals that the 26-year-old is still enduring some pain, so he’s more likely to resume action next Wednesday against Parma.
Furthermore, Nico Gonzalez will also miss the clash against Inter as he won’t be able to recover in time from his muscle injury. The Argentine has been out of action since picking up this knock in Leipzig.
These absentees are added to Gleison Bremer who tore in Anterior Cruciate Ligament and will probably remain out of action until the end of the season, as well as Arkadiusz Milik who recently underwent knee surgery and isn’t expected to return before December.