Serie A title hopefuls Juventus have received a substantial injury boost ahead of Saturday’s home meeting with Bologna. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, standout striker Dusan Vlahovic is on the verge of returning to action after a brief spell on the sidelines.
Thiago Motta will face his former employers at the Allianz Stadium in a dire need for points after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer in a dismal 1-1 draw at Lecce last weekend. A second consecutive league stalemate saw Juventus fall six points behind table-topping Napoli at the end of Matchday 14.
Vlahovic’s absence has significantly derailed the Turin giants’ firepower. Indeed, the Serbia international missed matches against Aston Villa, Milan, and Lecce. Juventus only scored once in that timeframe, highlighting the ex-Fiorentina star’s significance to Motta’s tactical set-up.
During Vlahovic’s hiatus from competitive action, the new Juventus manager experimented with Tim Weah and Weston McKennie as stand-in center-forwards. However, his effort was in vain. Despite the 24-year-old’s notorious inconsistency, he remains the focal point of Juventus’ attack.
With Vlahovic’s impending return, Motta can redeploy his favorite 4-2-3-1 formation. That will also bolster the spirits at Juventus as they bid to return to winning ways and extend their incredible 22-game unbeaten streak in Serie A.
Despite their 14-game undefeated run in Turin, it’s worth noting that Juventus had to settle for a draw as many as eight times in that sequence, often leaving home fans frustrated. Therefore, anything other than three points on Saturday could reignite questions about their Scudetto credentials.
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