Inter’s Main Threat Pointed Out As Juventus Hatch The Perfect Plan To Have Locatelli Available For The Derby d’Italia
Written By Onyeka Daniel
This Sunday at the Allianz Stadium, it will be the derby d’Italia as second placed Juventus welcome first placed Inter Milan to their stadium in Turin for one of the fiercest rivalry in Italian football. For the home side, they’re dealing with several injury concerns, but the biggest of them all is Manuel Locatelli.
More Details
The Bianconeri do not want to be without the former Milan player for the coming Derby d’Italia, so may give the midfielder a shock jacket to face Inter. The 25-year-old was forced to withdraw from the Italy squad last week after tests confirmed that he’d suffered a dislocated micro-fracture in his rib.
He returned to Turin to immediately begin working on his recovery, keeping an eye on the fast-approaching Derby d’Italia. According to reports, the Juventus medical staff are working hard to ensure Locatelli will be available for the important fixture after the international break and have drawn up a plan to see him on the pitch.
LATEST POSTS
He’ll undergo a new round of tests over the next 48 hours and if everything looks positive, then the club will create a protective shock jacket that the midfielder can wear under his shirt against Inter.
This would cushion any contact or blows, allowing the 25-year-old to relax and focus on the football. Massimiliano Allegri will be hoping it all goes to plan as he already has to do without Paul Pogba and Nicolo Zaniolo due to suspension while Weston Mckennie and Fabio Miretti also picked up knocks with their respective national team during the break.
According to Legendary Italian defender Claudio Gentile, Turkish midfielder, Hakan Calhanoglu carries the biggest threat for Inter ahead of the big clash and he also admitted that he would have loved to go head-to-head against Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez.
The 70-year-old was one of the fiercest defenders of his era. During his heyday, he was a thorn in the back of some of the greatest strikers in the sport, including Diego Armando Maradona. Gentile was a stalwart at the back for Juventus between 1973 and 1984, taking part in a host of Derby d’Italia clashes.
Ahead of Sunday’s big showdown, the 1982 World Cup winner admits that Martinez is one striker that would have loved to mark. He also offers Juventus defenders some tips on how to limit the Argentine’s threat. “Forwards like Lautaro stimulate you, I would have wanted to mark him,” said the Italy legend in his interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“You have to stay attached to him and prevent him from turning, especially inside the penalty box.” The retired defender goes on to claim that Calhanoglu represents 50% of Inter’s threat. “Juve will also have to try to limit Calhanoglu as much as possible. At the moment, Hakan is worth almost 50% of Inter.” He further added.
Juventus sit just two points behind Inter at the top of the Serie A table, making the coming clash key for determining the next stages of the title race. When they met last season, the Bianconeri won both league clashes but drew once and lost once in the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
Meanwhile…
Torino defender, Alessandro Buongiorno stood out for Italy in their 0-0 draw with Ukraine, and this in turn has increased the level of interest from clubs especially in the Serie A. The 24-year-old made his second appearance for the Azurri in their final Euro 2024 qualifier, a game they couldn’t afford to lose in the quest to qualify.
Despite some late penalty drama, they ultimately prevailed and secured their second-place finish in Group C behind England. One of Italy’s revelations of the night was Buongiorno, who looked comfortable and confident alongside Francesco Acerbi in the four-man defence.
Read Also: Agent Of Napoli Forward Confirm Changes To His New Contract
He was booked after just seven minutes but didn’t let that throw off his game, impressing onlookers. According to a new report, Inter have started to plan their next defensive reinforcements and believe Buongiorno may be the perfect addition to Simone Inzaghi’s squad, putting the Torino man ahead of Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini on their wish list.
Atalanta themselves had tried to sign the player, offering Torino around €25m for him in the summer but this was rejected, and the defender recently penned a new five-year contract with the club. Inter also have another Torino defender, Perr Schuurs on their watchlist with the Dutchman currently out with injury.
Do you have a story tip?
Kindly Email: keepup@bettitude.com
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
About Author
