Series A: Juventus to Face Lecce Without Injured Striker Dusan Vlahovic

Juventus manager Thiago Motta confirmed that Dusan Vlahovic will not be available for the team's Serie A match against Lecce due to injury.

Juventus will continue to be without their top scorer, Dusan Vlahovic, as they face Lecce on Sunday. The 24-year-old Serbian striker has been sidelined with a thigh injury since Serbia's Nations League match against Denmark earlier this month.

Vlahovic's absence is a significant blow to Juventus, who are already grappling with an injury crisis. The striker has been in impressive form this season, scoring nine goals in all competitions. Manager Thiago Motta will have to find alternative options to lead the attack in Vlahovic's absence.

In Dusan Vlahovic's absence, Juventus have struggled to find the back of the net, playing out two consecutive goalless draws against AC Milan in Serie A and Aston Villa in the Champions League. Despite this, Juventus remain unbeaten in Serie A and sit sixth in the standings, just four points behind leaders Napoli. In contrast, their upcoming opponents, Lecce, are struggling in 15th place with 12 points.

“Dusan is not available for the Lecce match, like all players, he is focused on recovering as soon as possible,” Juventus manager Thiago Motta stated during a press conference on Saturday. “He wants to be on the pitch and help the team, as soon as he is fit we will know which match he will be available for.” Apart from Vlahovic, Motta also confirmed that Nicolo Savona, Weston McKennie, Nico Gonzalez, and Douglas Luiz are currently sidelined due to injury. Additionally, Gleison Bremer and Juan Cuadrado will miss the remainder of the season due to anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

“I don't know who will recover first, they are all working to be at their best as soon as possible,” he added.

“All teams go through periods with more or less injuries, but I don't think about that. I'm only focused on those who will be there and I hope the others will recover as soon as possible, but my focus is on those available.

“I have total confidence in my players and there is only one way to deal with the situation - to give something more to face the upcoming matches, an extra collective effort. The path we are following is the right one, we work every day to improve.”

Lecce recently appointed Marco Giampaolo as their new coach, signing him to a contract that runs until the end of the season. According to Thiago Motta, this change in leadership may prove to be a turning point for the struggling team.

“They're coming off a win (1-0 at bottom side Venezia). When you change coach it is normal to bring something new and some enthusiasm. The players who played less can start from scratch and show that they can participate,” Motta said.

“You create an environment with positive things within the team, we saw that at Venezia. They have interesting players and the coach gives a lot in terms of organisation, they will try to push and put us in difficulty.”