How Juventus will cope without Conceicao & Locatelli in Torino Derby? The expected tweaks revealed | OneFootball

With two of their key players missing the big clash, Juventus coach Thiago Motta will have to come out with new solutions against Torino.

On Saturday evening, The Granata will host the wounded Old Lady who returned home empty-handed following a disappointing participation in the Italian Super Cup in Riyadh, suffering a 1-2 defeat to Milan in the semi-final.

While the Bianconeri will be hoping to bounce back with a morale-boosting victory over their crosstown rivals, it won’t be an easy task in the absence of two important figures.

Manuel Locatelli, who has cemented himself as an irreplaceable player in the manager’s system will be serving a one-match ban after collecting his fifth yellow card of the Serie A campaign in the draw against Fiorentina.

(Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Moreover, Francisco Coenceicao picked up a knock during the warmups on Friday which prompted a last-minute change in the lineup. The Portuguese winger will undergo tests on Tuesday to reveal the extent of his injury, but in any case, he’s unlikely to be fit enough in time for the weekend’s clash.

So how will Motta cope without these two elemental stars?

According to Tuttosport via IlBianconero, Teun Koopmeiners should drop to a deeper role to replace Locatelli. The Dutchman has been mostly featuring as an attacking midfielder this season, but Motta has tested him as a central midfielder as of late. The 26-year-old should thus combine with Khephren Thuram in the double pivot, while Weston McKennie would be the alternative option.

Moreover, Kenan Yildiz would return to operate as an attacking midfielder as he did at the start of the season, with Samuel Mbangula maintaining his spot on the left wing. The fit-again Nico Gonzalez is the most likely candidate to fill in for Conceicao on the right wing, while Dusan Vlahovic leads the line.