Injured Juventus duo won’t return for Genoa clash – Report | OneFootball

New Juventus head coach Igor Tudor has reportedly made up his mind regarding calling up Andrea Cambiaso and Douglas Luiz for the upcoming contest against Genoa.

The Croatian will be making his bow on Saturday after being officially appointed last Sunday as a replacement for the sacked Thiago Motta. The 46-year-old will only have nine matches to turn the tide in the Bianconeri’s favour and secure a spot in next season’s edition of the Champions League.

Tudor has been gradually welcoming back his new players from international duty as the squad begins its preparations for Saturday’s clash against the Grifone.

But according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via JuventusNews24), the manager isn’t planning to rely on Cambiaso and Luiz in the next fixture, thus delaying their returns for later.

The Italian full-back and the Brazilian midfielder have been training separately and were hoping to make their return to contention, but it appears that Tudor and his staff aren’t willing to take any risks on this front, especially given the two players’ injury record this season.

(Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Luiz has been struggling with recurring muscle problems this term. He also suffered a couple of relapses after returning from spells on the sidelines. Some observers attributed the 26-year-old’s physical issues to the new training regime, which drastically differs from the one he used to at Aston Villa.

As for Cambiaso, he has been on and off in recent months due to a recurring ankle injury. The 25-year-old has been plagued by this issue since December, and it may have been one of the reasons that prompted Manchester City to delay their onslaught for the summer.

The former Genoa man is arguably Juve’s most reliable wingback/fullback, so it remains to be seen how Tudor is planning to replace him this weekend.