When Dusan Vlahovic was subbed off at the half of Juventus’ loss to Parma on Wednesday, it at first appeared to be a tactical choice by Igor Tudor following a tough first half for his No. 9.
But once Tudor took the mic after his first loss as Juve manager, we found out it was for a very different reason.
On Thursday, Vlahovic became the latest player to stroll through the doors at J Medical following an injury he suffered the day before.
And the end verdict of said tests?
The short answer: Every sign points to us not seeing Vlahovic this weekend when Juventus host last-place Monza on Sunday at the Allianz Stadium.
Beyond that, it could very well be anybody’s guess, with Vlahovic being diagnosed with “a muscular overload” in his right thigh and his status will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis, Juventus announced following Thursday’s exams.
According to Sky Italia, the hope is that Vlahovic will only miss Monza’s visit to Turin this weekend and he will be able to return for the May 4 showdown with fourth-place Bologna at the Dall’Ara.
Here is the very brief update on Vlahovic’s status, courtesy of Juventus’ official website:
Dusan Vlahovic underwent diagnostic examinations today at J|Medical, which revealed a muscular overload in the rectus femoris of his right thigh. His condition will be monitored daily.
With Vlahovic out, it will certainly mean more playing time for Randal Kolo Muani, who got his first start under Tudor in the loss to Parma. Vlahovic had previously started all four games that Tudor has been in charge following the firing of Thiago Motta last month.
Kolo Muani, who started in one of the attacking positions behind Vlahovic against Parma, moved into the striker role in Tudor’s 3-4-2-1 formation for the second half.
This is the third time that Vlahovic has dealt with some sort of muscle injury this season, missing time in late November and early December and then in January.
Share this content:
