Juventus Midfield Faces Challenges Ahead of Sassuolo Clash

Teun Koopmeiners is poised to walk straight back into the Juventus midfield as Luciano Spalletti wrestles with an injury pile-up ahead of Sunday night’s Serie A trip to Sassuolo.

Juventus put their unbeaten start to the 2026-27 campaign on the line at the Mapei Stadium, with kick-off set for 19.45 BST. Two wins, one draw, and already the first test of their depth.

Spalletti shuffles the pack

Spalletti’s side opened with victories over Frosinone and Parma, then were checked by Milan in a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Stadium last weekend. It was a reminder that this revamped Juventus still has gears to find.

Sassuolo, meanwhile, sit mid-table in 10th after three games – one win, one draw, one defeat. Unremarkable on paper, but dangerous enough at home to punish any lapse in focus.

The real story is in the Juventus engine room. Captain Manuel Locatelli is out for the next few months. Khephren Thuram is in the same boat. Weston McKennie is not ready either. In the space of a few weeks, the heart of Spalletti’s midfield has been ripped out.

So the spotlight swings back onto two players who, not long ago, looked destined for the exit door.

Koopmeiners and Douglas Luiz, once labelled ‘unwanted’, now form the double pivot that has to hold this side together. The Dutchman, who showed his scoring touch in Istanbul against Galatasaray in last season’s Champions League play-off, is expected to start and dictate from deep. Douglas Luiz will sit alongside him, tasked with knitting play and protecting a back line that has barely been tested so far.

Tottenham loanee Pape Matar Sarr should make the matchday squad for the first time since his summer arrival in Turin. For now, he is likely to watch the starting battle from the bench, but his presence underlines how quickly Spalletti has had to redraw his midfield plans.

Attacking puzzle without Yildiz

There is no Kenan Yildiz either, another key absence in the final third. That pushes summer signing Kerim Alajbegovic back into the spotlight. Thrown in against Milan, he is expected to deputise again and offer vertical runs and energy between the lines.

Behind Randal Kolo Muani, the attacking trio is set to be a blend of craft and incision. Sky Sport Italia report that Nico Gonzalez is favoured to start in the central attacking midfield role, nudging Nick Woltemade to the bench. Gonzalez’s ability to drift into pockets and link with the wide players could be crucial against a Sassuolo side that often leaves space between midfield and defence.

On the flanks, Francisco Conceicao is in line to stretch the game, while Alajbegovic should slot in from the opposite side, looking to crash the box and support Kolo Muani.

At the back, Juventus must cope without Andrea Cambiaso, Jeremie Boga, Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal, none of whom are expected to feature. The defensive core remains intact, though, with Guglielmo Vicario behind a back four built to dominate aerially and physically.

Probable line-ups

Sassuolo are expected to stick with a 4-3-3 that leans on experience and wide threat:

Sassuolo (4-3-3): Muric; Cinquegrano, Leysen, Idzes, Doig; Adzic, Matic, Bakola; Berardi, Esposito, Lauriente.

Juventus answer with a 4-2-3-1 that leans heavily on that rebuilt midfield axis:

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Lucumi, Celik; Douglas Luiz, Koopmeiners; Conceicao, N. Gonzalez, Alajbegovic; Kolo Muani.

Where to watch

In the UK, the game will be shown live on TNT Sports 1, HBO Max and DAZN. Viewers in the USA can follow it on Paramount+.

Juventus arrive wounded but unbeaten, patched up but ambitious. If Koopmeiners and Douglas Luiz seize this chance to redefine their status in Turin, this early-season injury crisis might end up reshaping Spalletti’s Juventus in ways nobody saw coming.