Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic will miss Sunday’s match at Lecce due to a thigh injury, as confirmed by manager Thiago Motta, with the Serie A club struggling to cope with a series of injuries.
Vlahovic, who has been Juve’s top scorer this season with nine goals across all competitions, has not featured since exiting Serbia’s Nations League match against Denmark earlier this month. In his absence, Juventus have been unable to find the back of the net, playing out two goalless draws—against AC Milan in Serie A and Aston Villa in the Champions League.
Despite Vlahovic’s absence, Juventus sit sixth in Serie A, just four points behind leaders Napoli, while Lecce are struggling in 15th place. Motta confirmed that Vlahovic is focused on recovering but will not be available for the Lecce match. “Dusan is not available for the Lecce match, like all players, he is focused on recovering as soon as possible,” Motta stated. “He wants to be on the pitch and help the team. As soon as he is fit, we will know which match he will be available for.”
In addition to Vlahovic, Juventus also face injuries to Nicolo Savona, Weston McKennie, Nico Gonzalez, and Douglas Luiz, while Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal are out for the season due to ACL injuries.
Motta expressed confidence in his available players, emphasizing, “All teams go through periods with more or fewer injuries, but I don’t think about that. I’m only focused on those who will be there, and I hope the others recover as soon as possible. My focus is on those available. I have total confidence in my players. We need to give something more to face the upcoming matches—an extra collective effort.”
Lecce, under new coach Marco Giampaolo, will come into the match after a 1-0 win against bottom side Venezia. Motta acknowledged the potential impact of the managerial change, saying, “When you change coach, it is normal to bring something new and some enthusiasm. The players who played less can start from scratch and show they can participate. They have interesting players, and the coach gives a lot in terms of organisation. They will try to put us in difficulty.”
