Will Juventus recover Yildiz & Kelly for Champions League clash? | OneFootball

Luciano Spalletti began his Juventus tenure with a 2-1 victory in Cremone, but he had to do it without Kenan Yildiz and Lloyd Kelly.

The newly-appointed manager was thus forced to make some curious choices, like fielding Teun Koopmeiners as part of the backline, and entrusting Weston McKennie with an advanced role.

These choices largely stemmed from the lack of options, especially due to the absence of the Turkish youngster and the English defender.

So will either player pull off a swift recovery and make himself available for Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Sporting CP?

Juventus expect Kenan Yildiz to be back against Sporting

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport via JuventusNews24, the absence of Yildiz was mostly precautionary.

The 20-year-old isn’t injured, but has been suffering from discomfort in his left knee due to patellar tendinopathy. Therefore, Spalletti and his technical staff opted to rest him ahead of the crucial European encounter.

(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Therefore, Yildiz is expected to rejoin the matchday squad, and he could well be in the starting lineup as usual.

The young forward had been playing non-stop under Igor Tudor. He started every single contest, except for the Croatian’s final match in charge against Lazio, where he began on the bench, before entering the pitch after the interval.

Lloyd Kelly doubtful for Sporting clash

While the source offered reassuring updates on Yildiz, Kelly’s condition is slightly more serious. The former Bournemouth and Newcastle man is struggling with back pain, and he will have to be assessed on a daily basis.

Therefore, it remains to be seen whether the 27-year-old will be able to recover in time. If he doesn’t, Spalletti might have to extend Koopmeiners’ experiment at the back, or entrust Daniele Rugani with a starting role alongside Pierre Kalulu and Federico Gatti.

Juventus remain winless in the Champions League after the first three matchdays, so they have no other option but to win on Tuesday when they host the Portuguese giants at the Allianz Stadium.