Who will replace Vlahovic in Fiorentina vs Juventus clash? A favourite emerges | OneFootball

With Dusan Vlahovic struggling with an injury, Juventus boss Luciano Spalletti will have to ring the changes up front ahead of Saturday’s contest against Fiorentina.

The newly-appointed manager has thus far had three games in charge since his arrival in Turin. He made his bow with a 2-1 win in Cremona, before settling for draws against Sporting CP in the Champions League and Torino in the Derby della Mole.

While Spalletti has been tweaking his starting lineup, relying on Vlahovic in attack has been one of the common denominators.

Nevertheless, the Serbian suffered from muscle fatigue in the aftermath of his national team’s World Cup qualifier against England on Thursday.

Lois Openda to fill in for Dusan Vlahovic in Fiorentina vs Juventus match

The 25-year-old shouldn’t be out of action for too long, but he’s unlikely to recover in time to pay a visit to his former employers this weekend.

Therefore, Spalletti must select another attacker to spearhead the team’s charge against their Tuscan rivals on Saturday.

According to Tuttosport, Lois Openda is the ultimate favourite for the role, as the manager is unlikely to resort to Jonathan David.

Loic Openda (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

As the source explains, the Canadian will make his return from North America on Wednesday, so he might not be in ideal condition to start in Florence.

Moreover, Spalletti hasn’t been too impressed by the Brooklyn native, who has yet to make a starting appearance since the managerial chance that ensued last month.

Will Openda finally prove his worth for Juventus?

This would be a major opportunity for Openda to finally break his duck and score his first Juventus goal.

The Belgian is a versatile attacker capable of leading the line, and also playing in a support role for the striker, as was the case against Cremonese, when he started alongside Vlahovic.

The former RB Leipzig star will be desperate to make a statement, but Juve’s fixtures at the Artemio Franchi are seldom easy, so he’ll need to showcase some composure and tenacity to cope with the hostile atmosphere.