Napoli’s Juan Jesus out: calf worry, but hope for Milan clash | OneFootball

Antonio Conte’s plans for the away match in Udine undergo a sudden change right before the game. An update from the Azzurri’s medical staff complicates the choices in defense: Juan Jesus will not be playing.

No Udine for Juan Jesus: the blow in Lisbon knocks him out, Conte loses his defensive alternative

The Brazilian defender was the number one candidate for a starting spot at the “Bluenergy Stadium,” the main option to give Buongiorno a rest or replace him. However, as reported by Corriere dello Sport, the aftereffects of the European battle are still being felt. The knock to his calf suffered last Wednesday in Lisbon against Benfica hasn’t fully healed and the pain persists. For this reason, the coach and the medical staff have decided not to take any risks: the player hasn’t even been included in the squad list for today’s match.

While his absence for the league match is certain, attention now shifts with a hint of optimism to Saudi Arabia. Juan Jesus’s condition will be closely monitored in the coming hours with the Italian Super Cup in mind. The feeling coming from the Napoli camp is that the center-back could recover in time for the semifinal in Riyadh against Milan. As of now, it’s hard to imagine him missing out on the trophy match as well, despite a season so far plagued by continuous physical setbacks affecting the squad. In the meantime, however, the emergency is real: for today’s clash against Udinese, Conte will have to do without his experience and rely once again on Buongiorno to shore up the defense.

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.