Juventus held a full training session at the Continassa on Sunday as the squad fine-tunes its preparations for next Saturday’s Serie A opener at Frosinone — and the session delivered a mixture of encouragement and concern that captures perfectly the complexity of this pre-season’s final week.
Thuram: The Main Positive — Back with the Group
The headline news from Sunday’s session is unambiguously welcome. Khéphren Thuram completed the full session alongside his teammates — the first time the French midfielder has trained with the group since the patellofemoral syndrome in his right knee sidelined him at the very start of pre-season in mid-July. Having missed the entirety of the Asian tour and all four pre-season friendlies, his return to collective training is a significant moment — both for the player’s morale and for Spalletti’s midfield options heading into the competitive season.
The caveat is one of managed expectations rather than genuine concern. A return to group training after six weeks of individual rehabilitation is not the same as a return to full competitive fitness. Spalletti will assess his condition carefully over the coming days before deciding whether he is available for Frosinone — and the more realistic target for his first competitive appearance may be the following week’s Europa League qualifying match.
Ekhator: Still Working Apart
Jeff Ekhator, by contrast, continues to work on an individual programme as he recovers from the low-grade biceps femoris injury sustained during the Basilea pre-season friendly. His progress is being monitored daily by the Juventus medical staff, and a return to group training in the coming days is the target — but his readiness for Frosinone is far from certain. His position within the squad hierarchy this season will also be clarified by the remaining transfer market activity: should Jonathan David’s exit be finalised and a further striker arrive, Ekhator’s role becomes more defined by default.
Di Gregorio: An Ill-Timed Absence
Perhaps the most operationally significant absence from Sunday’s session was Michele Di Gregorio — sidelined not by any new footballing crisis but by an influenza that has kept him from training. His absence lands at a moment of maximum sensitivity in the goalkeeper market: Juventus are this weekend on the verge of finalising the transfer of Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa, an operation in which Di Gregorio’s own departure from the club will be a necessary precondition for registration and squad management.
The timing of his illness is entirely coincidental — but it adds a further layer of complexity to an already intricate set of moving parts. With Martínez’s deal advancing following Villa’s Suzuki move, the coming days are likely to produce clarity on both fronts simultaneously. One goalkeeper arriving, another departing — and the pre-season’s most persistently open question finally, at the last possible moment, beginning to close.
