Juventus Suffer Fresh Injury Blow Ahead of Derby d’Italia | OneFootball

Douglas Luiz will be on the sidelines when Juventus and Inter square off in the latest edition of the iconic Derby d’Italia this weekend. According to Il Bianconero, the Brazilian midfielder has slumped to a minor fitness issue again.

Juventus went above and beyond to sign the 26-year-old from Aston Villa last summer. Indeed, they splashed out a staggering €50 million to secure his signature. Furthermore, Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea headed in the opposite direction.

Despite joining Juventus as a household name, Luiz has immensely struggled in Serie A. Recurring injury problems, followed by a lack of match fitness, has restricted him to only 14 league appearances, including a mere three starts.

He came off the bench to help Juventus beat newcomers Como 2-1 in the previous Serie A round. However, Thiago Motta will not have the former Manchester City ace at his disposal this weekend. While the injury isn’t grave, Luiz won’t be able to feature on Sunday.

The timing couldn’t have been more unfortunate. Another fitness setback comes amidst Luiz’s mini-revival. Just when it looked like he was finding his rhythm, he’s forced to the sidelines again. Consistency has been elusive for the talented midfielder, who has struggled with injuries since arriving at Juventus.

With crucial fixtures on the horizon, Juventus will have to navigate his absence carefully. Meanwhile, Luiz is reportedly happy to stay at the Allianz Stadium despite the club’s willingness to listen to potential offers for their underachieving star.