It was a body blow for Aston Villa when Douglas Luiz left in the summer.
The 26-year-old was a key member of the Aston Villa side, one of the first names on the team sheet and a key reason why the team reached the Champions League.
But to meet Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and Financial Fair Play (FFP), Luiz left Villa for Juventus after five years of service to the club.
Then Villa draw Juventus in the Champions League and fans were eagerly awaiting the midfielder’s return, where he, no doubt, would have got a very good reception.
But it just so happens to be that Luiz is injured for the fixture and a reunion won’t be on the cards.
Pau Torres played with the Brazil star for one season – and it was a memorable one – and they became good friends off the field of play.
And Villa’s ball-playing centre-back spoke about his former teammate’s current situation in Turin.
Pau Torres says Douglas Luiz has made a ‘difficult’ start at Juventus
As Villa fans can testify, when Luiz first joined Villa, he didn’t hit the ground running before putting in consistent performances during lockdown and beyond that.
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Perhaps he needs the same time here because, as Torres touched upon in his press conference, he is in a ‘difficult moment’.
But Torres rightfully pointed out that Luiz is a ‘really good player’ and he is someone who he still keeps in contact with.
Brazilian midfielder #06 Douglas Luiz celebrates scoring his team's sixth goal next to teammate Columbian striker #24 Jhon Duran and Spanish defend...
Photo by GEOFF CADDICK/AFP via Getty Images
“With Douglas Luiz playing there, I know he’s in a difficult moment, but he’s a really good player,” said Torres.
“I spoke a lot with him about the club and how he’s feeling, but for us, they’re a winning team with a winning mentality.
“It’s a difficult moment for him, but I know him as a person and a player. He has a lot of qualities as a person and a player. He’s not available (to return to Villa Park) because of injury but I hope for him the best for the rest of the season.”
Luiz’s stats for Juventus
It was all change at Juventus this summer because Thiago Motta, after guiding Bologna to the Champions League for the first time, joined the club and became their manager.
A host of players arrived, including Luiz, so you don’t expect the motor to run smoothly.
From a defensive aspect, Juve have been outstanding, conceding just seven goals in Serie A, but they have lacked that bite going forward.
Luiz hasn’t been a regular, but in the games that he has featured in, WhoScored have rated his performances at 6.60 in the league and even lower in Europe.
Tournament Apps Mins Goals Assists SpG PS% Tackles KeyP Drb Rating
Serie A 2(5) 269 – – 0.6 91.1 0.9 1.1 1.3 6.60
Champions League 0(2) 45 – – 0.5 83.3 1.5 – 0.5 6.07
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