Three Juventus players who could cover at the back amidst injury crisis | OneFootball

Juventus coach Thiago Motta has been left with a depleted backline which could force him to improvise new solutions by deploying some players in unfamiliar roles.

At the start of the season, some fans and observers felt that the Bianconeri had left themselves uncovered at the back after parting ways with the likes of Daniele Rugani, Tiago Djalo, Alex Sandro and Mattia De Sciglio.

Whether this statement is accurate or not, the alarm bells certainly rang when Gleison Bremer suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury that ruled him out for the season. The situation has now become even direr with Juan Cabal sustaining a similar injury while on international duty.

Therefore, Juventus will be desperate to sign one or two defenders when the market reopens in January. But till then, Motta will have to come up with internal solutions if he wishes to rotate his starting lineup.

According to IlBianconero, three Juventus players could be set to cover at the back, at least temporarily.

The most obvious name is arguably Weston McKennie who has already played at right-back on some occasions this season, mostly in the later stages of the matches. The Texan could thus rotate with Nicolo Savona on the right flank, as Andrea Cambiaso will have to stick to the left lane with Cabal unavailable.

The source then mentions Timothy Weah as another solution. The highly versatile American has featured in a host of roles since joining the club in the summer of 2023. Last season, he mostly played as a right wingback in Max Allegri’s 3-5-2 formation, which isn’t too far from the right-back role.

Finally, the report names Manuel Locatelli as a possible option. The Italian showcases his ability to cover the backline in almost every outing, so it remains to be seen if he would be able to interpret the centre-back role.

Moreover, the source expects young left-back Jonas Rouhi to play a more prominent role in the coming weeks.