How Juventus can replace Vlahovic during minimum 3 month absence

Dusan Vlahovic is set to be out of action for around two to three months as a result of the adductor injury he suffered half an hour into Juventus’s 2-1 win over Cagliari on Saturday, so how does Luciano Spalletti plan on replacing the Serbian for the next 15 or so matches? 

Vlahovic was forced off after just half an hour against Cagliari and reported for medical tests on Monday morning. Juventus confirmed in the afternoon that he has suffered a ‘high-grade’ lesion, and Spalletti has since confirmed that he will be out of action for two to three months. 

The 25-year-old, who is into the final year of his contract in Turin, is Juve’s leading goalscorer across all competitions with six so far this term, three in Serie A and another three in the Champions League. 

It remains to be seen whether the injury to Vlahovic will lead Spalletti to a change of shape. The coach has used a 3-4-2-1 for the majority of his time with the Bianconeri so far, but has previously hinted at swapping to a back four. Now, there have been suggestions that he could look to swap from a front three to a two-man attack. 

Either way, the injury to Vlahovic is expected to bring more opportunities for both Jonathan David and Lois Openda, the other two recognised strikers in Juventus’s Serie A squad. 

As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, David is currently considered the more natural replacement for Vlahovic, as he is slightly more flexible than Openda from a tactical point of view. The Pink Paper says that it could be a case of ‘David or Openda’ rather than ‘David and Openda’. 

Another option is to move Kenan Yildiz into a more central role. The Bianconeri gem has largely featured off the left flank this term, but there have been suggestions that he could operate in a false nine role, or even as an out-and-out striker. 

He could feasibly feature alongside David in a two-man attack, or if he were to be played as the loan central forward in a front three, there would still be space for Francisco Conceicao on the right flank and either Openda or Edon Zhegrova on the left.