Coming out of the October international fixtures, Juventus will be third in Serie A behind defending champions Inter Milan and top dogs Napoli, who have rebounded splendidly so far under former Juve icon Antonio Conte.
But next weekend, Juve will face the team they are tied on points with, as the Allianz Stadium will play host to Lazio on Saturday night, with the Biancocelesti boasting two of the biggest stars of the season in Nuno Tavares and Valentin Castellanos.
It looks like Juventus won’t have one of their own star attackers available against Lazio, though, as Corriere dello Sport reports that winger Nico Gonzalez is expected to miss the match. He has been out since Oct. 2 vs. RB Leipzig with an injury to his right rectus femoris muscle.
Gonzalez is also expected to be out for Juve on Oct. 22 in the Champions League against Stuttgart, who continue to be one of the most dangerous teams in European football even without Serhou Guirassy.
Funnily enough, Gonzalez was a standout for Stuttgart back when they were bouncing between the first and second leagues, and he actually scored 14 goals for them in the 2. Bundesliga to help Die Schwaben win promotion.
From there, Nico joined Fiorentina and was a star there before moving to Juventus this summer, where he has impressed in two Champions League starts with a goal and an assist but has yet to make good on his potential in Serie A.
Gonzalez is a tough miss against two quality opponents in Lazio and Stuttgart, but the good news is that Corriere reports the Argentinian international is aiming to return against arch rivals Inter Milan on Oct. 27.
Any Derby d’Italia is a title-decider at this stage, and while Gonzalez can be inconsistent, he is a game-changer in the starting lineup and even off the bench. With his skills, the ex-Fiorentina star could be an X-Factor for the Bianconeri vs. the Nerazzurri if healthy enough to play.
