Vlahovic, missed 15 games in a year and a half

There is no peace for the Juventus number 9: the Mole derby will be yet another match that he will not play due to injuries

Giovanni Albanese

@
GiovaAlbanese

– Turin

Vlahovic out of action for the derby means forfeit for the fifteenth official match since he joined Juventus: almost half the championship in total. A lot, too much, for a player who arrived in January 2022 to make the difference, to make that leap in quality necessary for Allegri’s first Juve bis which risked remaining outside the top four positions of the Serie A table. Dusan arrived thanks to a monstrous operation, worth 80 million between fixed and variable parts: with the Fiorentina shirt he was in the running for the title of top scorer, the move to black and white limited him quite a bit due to an annoying groin pain that revealed itself during a more demanding calendar.

physical problems

Groin pain was the main problem he had to resolve last season too: on paper Vlahovic was an added value to the squad, but Allegri was never able to aim for it with conviction due to the many sudden failures. Physical fitness is back in fashion again this year, this time for low back pain: Dusan reported the severe pain on the eve of Atalanta-Juventus, asking not to leave with the team, but evidently the rest wasn’t enough. In recent days he has continued to work separately, between the field and the gym, but the pain in his back has given him no peace. Milik thus warms up his engines, being the first real alternative to the Serbian: last year the Pole was fundamental in periods in which there was no possibility of aiming for 9.

fans’ idol

Dusan had to limit himself to Juventus but also to the national team: in the last World Cup in Qatar he betrayed expectations due to physical problems which forced his coach to manage too carefully with reduced playing time. And even in the various breaks for the national teams in the last year – after the confrontations between the medical staff of Juventus and the Serbian Federation – he had to miss some call-ups. However, Vlahovic remains the idol of the moment among Juventus fans. Who appreciated his willingness to stay in Turin despite some polls from top European clubs last summer. The Juventus number 9 wants to make up for the lackluster recent seasons and leave his mark: the four goals in the first few days had inspired enthusiasm, but now the injury anxiety has returned.

after the break

Last season the Serbian center forward scored 14 goals (10 in the league, 3 in the Europa League and one in the Champions League), this year he aims to exceed at least 20: not having the European cups and therefore having more time to recover from the matches and manage yourself as best as possible during the long weeks. Against Atalanta he missed one of the decisive big matches of this year, the absence against Torino weighs heavily and also denies the long-distance challenge with Zapata: one of his main rivals in the scoring charts. The Serbian should also give up the national team and take advantage of the next break to stay and work at Continassa: Milan will be there for the restart, at San Siro. He wants to be there.





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