Three Juventus players who could replace Conceicao against Lecce | OneFootball

With Francisco Conceicao still struggling with an injury, Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti is reflecting on his options ahead of Saturday’s contest against Lecce.

The 22-year-old scored the opener in the 2-1 win over Roma 10 days ago, but he had to leave the pitch at the hour mark after picking up a knock.

Although earlier reports ruled out a serious injury, the Portuguese winger was left behind at Continassa when the team travelled to Pisa last weekend.

Teun Koopmeiners hoping to replace Conceicao against Lecce

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Conceicao has yet to fully recover, so barring a late twist, he will likely skip Juve’s first fixture in 2026.

The Bianconeri will host Lecce at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday evening, and Spalletti must now find a solution.

As the pink newspaper explains, the 66-year-old tactician has three main options.

Teun Koopmeiners (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

The first is to entrust Teun Koopmeiners once more in an advanced role. The Dutchman has been deployed all over the pitch since Spalletti’s arrival, but the coach admitted that the 27-year-old struggled to make a difference while playing as an attacking midfielder against Pisa.

However, the manager could perhaps field him in a slightly deeper role alongside Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli, thus switching his formation from 3-4-2-1 to 3-5-2.

Edon Zhegrova & Weston McKennie are the alternative options

The second option is to field Edon Zhegrova alongside Kenan Yildiz. The Kosovar’s introduction at the hour mark proved decisive in Pisa, allowing Juventus to find a breakthrough.

That being said, the 26-year-old has yet to regain his optimal physical condition following the serious injury he suffered last season, so Spalletti has been reluctant to field him from the first minute.

In fact, Zhegrova’s solitary start this term came against Pafos in the Champions League, and he produced an underwhelming performance.

Finally, the ultra-versatile Weston McKennie represents the third solution. However, the Texan’s move to a more advanced role would spark some reshuffling, with Andrea Cambiaso switching to the right wing-back role, and Filip Kostic introduced on the left.