Amidst the devastating injury crisis, Juventus coach Thiago Motta decided to add five new youngsters to the traveling party to Lecce.
The Bianconeri are without nine first-team players, including the likes of Dusan Vlahovic, Arek Milik, Weston McKennie and Gleison Bremer. In addition to Kenan Yildiz, Samuel Mbangula and Jonas Rouhi, the Juventus coach resorted to the services of five youngsters who have earned their maiden senior call-ups.
So what do we know about these fresh profiles?
We begin with Augusto Owusu, a midfielder who has been rising through the club’s ranks since the age of seven. He currently features for the Next Gen squad. This season, the 19-year-old has thus far made 13 appearances for the young squad.
Juventus coach Thiago Motta at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine
His Next Gen teammate Christos Papadopoulos is only a year older. He’s currently in Turin on loan from Genoa, so it remains to be seen what the future will hold for the 20-year-old Greek midfielder. This season, he has contributed with a single goal in 12 appearances.
In addition to the Next Gen duo, Motta bolstered his squad with a trio of promising Primavera starlets. Filippo Pagnuco is an 18-year-old left-back who currently serves as the captain of the U20 side.
Despite his tender age, 17-year-old Alfonso Montero also got the nod. Like his father, the legendary Paolo Montero, the teenager is a centre-back by trade. The Uruguayan is already burning the stages of his development, as he’s one of the youngest players in Francesco Magnanelli’s squad. He has also been called up for the Uruguay U20 side.
Finally, Diego Pugno joins the ranks amidst the lack of strikers at Motta’s disposal, with Vlahovic and Milik both out. The young Italian has six goals with the Primavera this season. So while Timothy Weah will likely start in attack, it remains to be seen if Motta will resort to the teenage bomber in the second half.