Juventus defender will make his return from injury against Cremonese | OneFootball

Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti will be able to count on the services of his defender Lloyd Kelly in Monday’s contest against Cremonese.

The Bianconeri slipped into a disappointing draw against Lecce last Saturday, but swiftly bounced back with a commanding 3-o win away victory over Sassuolo on Tuesday.

The Turin-based giants are now preparing to host Cremonese at the Allianz Stadium on Monday, and they have already received encouraging news from the nursery.

According to Sky Sport Italia correspondent Paolo Aghemo (via Gianlucadimarzio.com), Kelly has recovered from the slight knock that ruled him out of the mid-week contest.

Lloyd Kelly ready to play in Juventus vs Cremonese contest

The Englishman felt some discomfort in his thigh following the Lecce game. He and Francisco Conceicao underwent clinical tests on Sunday morning and were both cleared from injury.

However, the technical staff opted to leave both players in Turin while Spalletti’s host travelled to Sassuolo.

(Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

While it remains to be seen whether the Portuguese winger will also make a speedy recovery, Kelly is ready and raring to go.

As the source explains, the former Newcastle and Bournemouth star managed to overcome the muscle fatigue that likely resulted from playing nonstop over the past 45 days.

Prior to the issue he encountered last weekend, the defender had started in the last nine Juventus fixtures across all competitions.

Spalletti will be delighted to welcome Kelly back to Juventus squad

Kelly’s return will be an important boost for Spalletti, who considers him an automatic starter. The 27-year-old is the manager’s first choice for the left centre-back role, whether he’s playing with three or four at the back.

In Kelly’s absence, the Juventus manager relied on Teun Koopmeiners in that position. While the Dutchman hasn’t disgraced himself in his unconventional role, his defensive limitations were exposed when marking tricky wingers, particularly Napoli’s David Neres and Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini.