Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz has just made his return from injury following a two-month absence, but he won’t take part in the Coppa Italia contest against Cagliari.
The Bianconeri will kickstart their cup campaign by hosting the Sardinians on Tuesday night at the Allianz Stadium in the tournament’s Round of 16. This tie has been perceived as an opportunity for those who earned less playing time, like Nicolo Fagioli and Samuel Mbangula, to get some minutes in their legs.
Luiz certainly fits this category, having only made two appearances as a starter in Serie A since joining the club in the summer. The Brazilian’s start to life in Italian football has been notoriously slow, as he has yet to break into Thiago Motta’s starting lineup and showcase the mesmerizing displays that earned him a big-money switch from Aston Villa last season.
The 26-year-old then missed two months of action due to a muscle injury, before making his return as a second-half substitute in the forgettable 2-2 draw against Venezia. Luiz came in for the disappointing Teun Koopmeiners, and proved to be an upgrade on the Dutchman, at least on this particular occasion.
But while many were hoping to see more of the former Man City midfielder, JuventusNews24 claims that the player will be dropped from the matchday squad.
As the source explains, the medical and technical staffs agreed that the player’s return to action should be delicately managed to avoid a relapse after the lengthy stoppage. Therefore, it has been decided not to risk the Brazil international in the cup fixture, but he should return to the fold for the weekend trip to Monza.
Luiz cost the club circa 50 million euros. This figure includes the values of Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea who went in the opposite direction before being loaned out by Aston Villa to Bologna and Valencia respectively.
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