Concerns for Juventus duo ahead of Tottenham

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The squad of Italian giants Juventus for the club’s Coppa Italia clash with Atalanta tomorrow night has been announced, with both Gonzalo Higuain and Mattia De Sciglio absent.

Thriller

The return of the Champions League a fortnight ago saw the Serie A champions welcome Spurs to the Allianz Stadium for a much-anticipated last-16 clash.

And the hype ahead of kick-off proved to be wholly warranted following the full-time whistle, with the two sides having played out an absolutely thrilling affair in Turin.

A brace from Gonzalo Higuain within the first 10 minutes of the matchup saw Tottenham shell-shocked, but Mauricio Pochettino’s men, who showcased their ability to perform on the grand stage during the competition’s group stage versus both Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, proved once again that they belong with the elite of European football en route to a 2-goal comeback.

On a knife-edge

The second-leg between the sides is set to be played out at Wembley next week, with Juventus boss Max Allegri having confirmed ahead of the Bianconeri’s Derby della Mole clash with Torino last Sunday morning that both Paulo Dybala and Blaise Matuidi were closing in on returns from their respective injuries.

Dybala made his return as a substitute during the derby, playing the final 25 minutes of Juve’s 1-0 win.

However, while the diminutive Argentinian’s presence provided a welcome boost for the Old Lady, it was not long before the Serie A champions, who have had appalling luck on the injury front of late, were dealt another pair of blows.

Crocked

The first Juve star to be forced off with a fitness problem was Gonzalo Higuain, with the South American having been clattered by Torino goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu early in the first-half, before eventually succumbing to the problem 10 minutes later.

Mario Mandzukic’s absence for the clash meant that Higuain had to be replaced by midfielder/winger Federico Bernardeschi, who, after setting up the only goal of the clash with a darting run and driven cross, was also forced off with an injury of his own shortly before the full-time whistle.

Worrying

Higuain, for his part, was expected to have returned to Juve’s first-team setup by now, but, as per the release of the Bianconeri’s squad for their Coppa Italia semi-final second-leg clash with Atalanta tomorrow evening, the Argentine has worryingly still not recovered from his ankle problem.

Federico Bernardeschi is, as predicted, also absent, with the Italian international reportedly requiring potentially season-ending ankle surgery.

And full-back Mattia De Sciglio, who performed brilliantly during the first meeting between Juventus and Tottenham two weeks ago, is another set to miss out versus Atalanta, with his status for next week’s Champions League return still unknown.

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