Juventus Prepares for Sassuolo Clash with Key Injuries
Teun Koopmeiners is set to be thrown straight back into the heart of Juventus’ midfield as Luciano Spalletti wrestles with an early-season injury pile-up before Sunday night’s Serie A trip to Sassuolo.
The Bianconeri head to the Mapei Stadium determined to protect their unbeaten start to the 2026-27 campaign, with kick-off at 19.45 BST.
Spalletti juggling injuries, but Juve still unbeaten
Juventus opened the season with back-to-back wins over Frosinone and Parma, only to be checked by a 1-1 draw against Milan at the Allianz Stadium last weekend. The performance against the Rossoneri underlined both their promise and their fragility: control in spells, but not enough to kill the game.
Sassuolo sit 10th after three matches, with one win, one draw and one defeat. On paper, it’s the kind of away fixture a title challenger has to navigate without fuss. On the pitch, Spalletti knows it could be anything but straightforward.
The real headache lies in midfield. Captain Manuel Locatelli is out for the next few months. Khephren Thuram faces a similar spell on the sidelines. Weston McKennie is still not ready to return. Suddenly, two players who had been pushed towards the exit door in the summer are central to the plan.
Koopmeiners and Douglas Luiz, once labelled surplus to requirements, are now expected to anchor the side in a 4-2-3-1. From “unwanted” to indispensable in a matter of weeks – circumstances have a way of rewriting the depth chart.
New faces, new roles
Tottenham loanee Pape Matar Sarr is in line for his first appearance in a Juventus matchday squad since his move to Turin. His inclusion offers Spalletti at least one extra option on the bench in a department that has been stripped bare.
Further up the pitch, there is another enforced change. Kenan Yildiz is unavailable, so summer signing Kerim Alajbegovic, who deputised against Milan, is again expected to start. It’s a rapid elevation for the youngster, but Spalletti appears ready to trust him in a creative role away from home.
The key tactical question sits just behind the striker. According to pre-match reports from Sky Sport Italia, Nico Gonzalez is currently favoured over Nick Woltemade to operate as the central attacking midfielder. Gonzalez’s movement between the lines and ability to break into the box could tilt the balance, especially with Randal Kolo Muani leading the line.
Woltemade, who featured against Milan, may have to settle for a place among the substitutes this time, a reminder of how quickly competition for places can shift in a squad chasing trophies on multiple fronts.
At full-back and out wide, Spalletti’s options are also trimmed. Andrea Cambiaso, Jeremie Boga, Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal are not expected to feature, narrowing the rotation possibilities on the flanks and in defensive cover.
Probable line-ups
Sassuolo are expected to stick with a 4-3-3:
Sassuolo (4-3-3): Muric; Cinquegrano, Leysen, Idzes, Doig; Adzic, Matic, Bakola; Berardi, Esposito, Lauriente.
Juventus are set to mirror their recent structure in a 4-2-3-1:
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Lucumi, Celik; Douglas Luiz, Koopmeiners; Conceicao, N. Gonzalez, Alajbegovic; Kolo Muani.
Koopmeiners’ return alongside Douglas Luiz should give Juventus a more balanced base, at least on paper. Whether that is enough to control a Sassuolo side with Domenico Berardi and Armand Lauriente buzzing around the final third will be tested quickly.
How to watch
In the UK, the match will be shown live on TNT Sports 1, HBO Max and DAZN. Viewers in the USA can follow the action via Paramount+.
Juventus arrive unbeaten, patched up, and already leaning heavily on players who started the summer with uncertain futures. If they come through another test on Sunday night, the questions around this squad may start to sound very different.
