Federico Gatti doubtful for Atalanta clash – How will Juventus line up at the back? | OneFootball

Juventus defender Federico Gatti risks missing out on Sunday’s big showdown against Atalanta, forcing Thiago Motta to make mandatory changes at the back.

The Bianconeri are currently riding a five-match winning streak in the league that saw them reduce the gap to league Inter to just six points. So despite being fourth in the standings, many consider Motta’s men as genuine title challengers at this stage.

Therefore, this weekend’s clash against La Dea represents a crucial corner for the Old Lady. They will either beat La Dea and climb to third place while keeping the pressure on Inter and Napoli, or their Scudetto hopes will be shattered once and for all.

But according to JuventusNews24, the Turin-based giants might have to do without Gatti who is suffering from muscle fatigue. As the source reveals, the Italian defender had to train separately on Thursday, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to regain his optimal physical condition over the next few days.

This new injury concern shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, the former Frosinone man has hardly been afforded any rest time since the start of the season. While the likes of Gleison Bremer, Pierre Kalulu and Renato Veiga all succumbed to various injuries at some stage, Gatti has been the only constant at the back, but his extra shifts have finally taken their toll on his body.

But luckily for Motta, Kalulu had made his return on Monday, coming in as a second-half replacement against Hellas Verona. Hence, the Frenchman’s timely comeback should see him link up with Lloyd Kelly at the heart of the backline in case Gatti can’t make it on time.

Veiga is also expected to recover, but he might not be in an ideal condition to start the contest.