Juventus are once again sweating over the condition of Douglas Luiz who could be forced to skip the trip to Monza.
The Brazilian has been struggling with a muscle problem since October when he was set to start in the Champions League encounter against Stuttgart, only to suffer an injury during the pre-match warm-ups.
Initially, it was perceived as a slight knock which would only keep the player out of action for a few contests. Nevertheless, it later became evident that the problem was significantly more serious than what the first diagnosis had suggested.
The 26-year-old spent almost two months on the sidelines before making his return to action during the second half of last weekend’s**Serie A contest against Venezia**, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Luiz replaced fellow summer signing Teun Koopmeiners and almost scored from a stunning overhead kick.
But while his encouraging display suggested that the injury ordeal was behind him, it was later revealed that Luiz is going to skip Tuesday’s Coppa Italia tie against Cagliari. The first reports claimed it was only a precautionary measure as the club is looking to gradually reintroduce the player back to the fold with great caution after such a lengthy absence.
However, it appears that the Brazil international might be suffering a relapse.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport via JuventusNews24, Luiz felt the pain again, which rang the alarm bells at Continassa. Therefore, the pink newspaper believes the midfielder is at “high risk” for Sunday’s Serie A trip to Monza.
The source explains that the player’s condition will be carefully monitored over the next few days before taking a decision over his availability for the trip to Brianza.
The Brazilian sealed a €55 million transfer from Aston Villa last summer, but was already struggling to find his feet in Turin prior to his injury.