David, Openda or Vlahovic? Who will lead the line for Juventus against Villarreal | OneFootball

Juventus head coach Igor Tudor will have to choose between Jonathan David, Loic Openda and Dusan Vlahovic for Wednesday’s Champions League contest against Villarreal.

The Bianconeri might be struggling for depth in almost every department, especially in the middle of the park, but this certainly isn’t the case upfront, with three players vying for one spot.

David was brought in as a free agent at the start of July, while Openda arrived on deadline day when the club gave up on striking a deal with Paris Saint-Germain for Randal Kolo Muani. But with Vlahovic resisting the management’s attempt to sell him, the strikers’ department has become slightly overcrowded.

Igor Tudor has three strikers for one role

Following Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Atalanta, Tudor revealed that all three players prefer to play as centre-forwards, so he’s unlikely to deploy two of them in the same starting lineup.

But while Openda got the nod on the weekend, the Belgian failed to inspire. Vlahovic entered the contest in the second half, but he didn’t fare much better.

(Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images)

On the contrary, David remained on the bench, as Tudor had to use his last substitution in defence, bringing in Juan Cabal for Gleison Bremer, who suffered a muscle strain.

Therefore, Tuttosport (via JuventusNews24) expects Tudor to make amends by fielding the Canadian striker as a starter against Villarreal.

Jonathan David to start in Villarreal vs Juventus

This would be the 25-year-old’s first starting appearance since the thrilling 4-4 draw against Borussia Dortmund on the opening round of the Champions League.

As the Turin-based newspaper explains, David will get a new opportunity to prove his worth, while Openda will be dropped to the bench following a disappointing display.

As for Vlahovic, the technical staff feels he can be more devastating when coming off the bench, given how his four goals this season have all come following his introduction in the second half.