The news of Manuel Locatelli’s injury served as a major blow for Juventus, especially since the club’s upcoming match is against arch-rivals and league leaders Inter.
The Bianconeri will host the Nerazzurri at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday night in what will be a major showdown between the two main title challengers.
However, the biggest concern for Max Allegri at the moment is whether or not his key midfielder will make it in time.
Locatelli suffered a fracture in the rib during the club’s most recent win over Cagliari.
This knock saw him miss out on Italy’s final two Euro 2024 qualifiers against North Macedonia and Ukraine.
But according to Tuttosport via ilBianconero, the pain has been gradually easing in the last few days, giving Juventus some hope of a timely comeback.
The former Sassuolo man reportedly spent the weekend in Paris with his wife before resuming therapy this week.
The source expects the midfielder to undergo additional tests in the next 48 hours to give the medical staff more insight into his condition.
Moreover, the Turin-based newspaper expects Locatelli to sport a protective shield if he plays the Derby d’Italia.
This shield would protect him from body blows which would be particularly painful given his condition.
The Euro 2020 winner remains Allegri’s ultimate choice for the Regista role. Therefore, the manager would have to reshuffle his cards if the Italian fails to recover in time.
The tactician would be forced to deploy Adrien Rabiot in a deeper position or thrust Hans Nicolussi Caviglia who has been a benchwarmer since the start of the season.
