Jeff Ekhator back in Juventus group training after injury nightmare
Jeff Ekhator has finally rejoined his Juventus teammates on the training pitch. The young striker, signed from Genoa in the summer, took part in a full group session at the Continassa on Friday for the first time since a run of muscle problems that has so far kept him out of every competitive game in black and white.
His return gives Luciano Spalletti one more name to consider in a week when the squad has been kept together at the training centre ahead of Sunday’s visit of Napoli.
A frustrating start in Turin
Juventus announced the permanent deal on 1 July, and Football Italia put the fee at €16m plus add ons. The 19 year old has barely been available since.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, who credits Sky Sport Italia with the news, his troubles began in the very first friendly of pre-season against Basel. He recovered in time to be named in the squad for the second Serie A round against Parma, where he stayed on the bench, but broke down again a few days later and has spent roughly two further months on the sidelines.
Di Marzio describes the forward as fully recovered, and Friday’s session with the rest of the group was his first since that setback.
Where he fits in Spalletti’s attack
Nobody should expect Ekhator to be rushed into the starting eleven after so long without match practice. Football Italia sees him more as an extra option from the bench, giving Spalletti a third centre forward alongside Nick Woltemade and Randal Kolo Muani.
That alone matters for a side that has struggled for goals. Juventus have scored 11 times in nine league games, and the 2-0 defeat at Genoa on Wednesday, covered in our report on Spalletti’s apology, left them level on 14 points with Napoli.
A tense weekend at the Continassa
The timing of his comeback is notable. After the Genoa loss, chief executive Giovanni Carnevali met the players and the coach, and Spalletti then decided to keep the squad together at the training ground until kick off, as explained in our piece on the Juventus retreat.
Napoli come to the Allianz Stadium on Sunday 1 November for Matchday 10, with kick off at 20:45 local time. According to the club’s own match notes, it is the first time since April 2021 that the two sides meet on the same number of points in Serie A.
Whether Ekhator makes the matchday squad will become clear when Spalletti names his group. Either way, having a fit young striker back in training is a rare piece of good news for Juventus this week.
Sources: Gianluca Di Marzio, Football Italia, Juventus
