Real Madrid receive boost as Juventus lose key defender for Club World Cup Round of 16 | OneFootball

Real Madrid have been handed a huge boost ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 clash.

Juventus, who will face Los Blancos in the knockout round, have confirmed that their important defender Nicolo Savona will miss the game.

This news comes as a big relief for Real Madrid fans, as Savona was one of the standout players for the Italian giants during the group stage of the tournament.

Juventus’ statement

Juventus shared the update through an official statement, saying,

“Nicolo Savona, after the trauma to his left ankle suffered during the match against Manchester City, underwent diagnostic tests that revealed a high-grade capsuloligamentous injury.

“He has already started his rehabilitation program and will be re-evaluated within a month with new tests.”

Nicolo Savona will miss the Real Madrid tie. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

This means Savona, who is only 22, will miss the rest of the Club World Cup.

Savona picked up the injury in the 60th minute of the match against Manchester City. He had to leave the field in tears after a bad landing had hurt his ankle.

Under Igor Tudor, Savona became a key part of a three-man defence and started all three group stage games, playing 221 minutes.

Good news for Real Madrid

Juventus are now short of options in defence as Tudor prefers using three centre-backs. Losing Savona is a big setback for the Italians just days before facing a dangerous Real Madrid side.

Without Savona, Juventus will likely turn to Federico Gatti, another Italian defender, to fill the gap. However, Gatti has struggled for consistency, and his return might not bring the same stability that Savona provided.

For Real Madrid, this development makes things much easier. With players like Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, and Gonzalo Garcia in top form, they will aim to take advantage of Juventus’ problems to progress to the next round of the Club World Cup.