Spalletti studying two solutions to replace Thuram against Fiorentina | OneFootball

Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti may have to do without Khephren Thuram for the second match in a row.

The Frenchman has been a regular starter alongside his captain, Manuel Locatelli, since last summer. However, he has been struggling with a muscle strain since April.

While this issue hasn’t ruled the midfielder out of action, it has hampered his performances on the pitch. Therefore, Spalletti decided to relegate the 24-year-old to the bench in last Saturday’s contest against Lecce.

Khephren Thuram is still struggling with a muscle problem

Luckily for Juventus, Thuram’s services weren’t required at the Via del Mare, as the team went on to register a narrow but important win thanks to Dusan Vlahovic’s extremely early opener.

Nevertheless, the Old Lady is about to face a sterner test this weekend, as old rivals Fiorentina arrive in town.

The Viola have already secured their place in the top flight for next season after a mid-season revival, but they’ll be keen to spoil Juve’s Champions League hopes, knowing that any slip can be deadly in the tight race.

But while Juventus would love to have Thuram at his best, the midfielder continues to train separately, casting doubt over his availability.

Teun Koopmeiners & Emil Holm vying for staring role against Fiorentina

According to Tuttosport, Spalletti is already reflecting on two different options should the Frenchman fail to recover in time.

The first solution would be to keep the lineup intact from last weekend. In other words, Teun Koopmeiners would link up with Locatelli in the double pivot.

However, the Juventus manager wasn’t entirely convinced by the Dutchman, who irritated him with his passive plays.

Therefore, Spalletti could decide to drop the former Atalanta star and move Weston McKennie from his current role as right wing-back to the middle of the park.

In this case, Emil Holm would break into the starting lineup, while the rest of the team remains unchanged, with Dusan Vlahovic leading the lineup, supported by Kenan Yildiz and Chico Conceicao.

First option (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio: Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly; McKennie, Locatelli, Koopmeiners, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; Vlahovic.

Second option (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio: Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly; Holm, Locatelli, McKennie, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; Vlahovic.