Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic will be ready for their home match against Bologna in Serie A today, manager Thiago Motta mentioned before facing his old club for the first time. Vlahovic dealt with a muscle strain in his left thigh during November’s international pause and has been out since visiting AC Milan on Nov. 23. “Dusan will join the squad tomorrow. He has practiced with the group this week,” Motta revealed during a press briefing.
“We are delighted with his comeback, that he can do what he loves. It’s his role to step on the field and play football. Tomorrow, Dusan will be available, along with (midfielder Vasilije) Adzic, and (defender Nicolo) Savona, who also returns after missing the previous game.”
Still absent are defenders Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal, midfielders Nico Gonzalez and Douglas Luiz, and strikers Arkadiusz Milik and Weston McKennie, Motta stated. The 42-year-old manager will encounter his former club Bologna for the first time since departing to join Juventus in June.
“Bologna are performing well and are a strong squad,” Motta noted. “(However) we must concentrate on our tasks and avoid unnecessary mistakes. They play very directly and apply high pressure. They will bring a lot of energy.”
Motta guided Bologna to the Champions League for the first time in six decades during his two-year tenure. “In Bologna, I experienced two amazing years, both personally and professionally,” he remarked.
Currently sitting sixth in the table with 26 points – six behind leaders Napoli – Juventus have missed chances to narrow the gap at the top, drawing four of their last six Serie A matches. They have also struggled to score, managing just one goal in their past three games across all tournaments.
“We’re coming off a stretch of matches that we haven’t won,” Motta admitted. “In some, we’ve played well, but improvement is necessary. We can’t only focus on one part of the game to get the results we desire. Today, our attacking play is a shared responsibility, starting from our goalkeeper. The more we position the right players in attack, the better our chances to score.
“At the same time, we need solid defense tomorrow and must stop our opponents from creating opportunities.”