In the middle of a crisis of results and identity, Juventus have received their first piece of encouraging injury news in weeks. Jeff Ekhator, the forward who has spent almost the entire season on the sidelines, returned to training with the group at the Continassa on Friday.
The End of a Difficult Road
According to Sky Sport, the former Genoa player, who arrived in the summer for €16 million, has completed his recovery programme after gradually increasing his workload over recent days. His first season in Turin has been extremely difficult physically. Born in 2006, Ekhator suffered a serious muscle injury in the summer friendly against Basel, then relapsed after returning to availability at the end of August for the second league match of the season against Parma.
The pattern is a frustrating one for a player Spalletti has been treating almost as a new signing. Ten matches missed in total, a single appearance on the bench against Parma, and no official debut so far.
One More Option in a Depleted Attack
The return matters because of how thin Juventus’s attacking options have become. With Yıldız and Conceição both unavailable, and with Kolo Muani and Woltemade struggling to deliver consistent performances, Spalletti will have an extra forward in the squad for the three matches ahead: Napoli on Sunday, AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, and Fiorentina.
Earlier reporting suggested the club’s plan was to use him as the third striker from December. His early return to the group gives Spalletti an option sooner than expected, though how quickly he is risked after two muscle injuries will be a medical as much as a tactical decision. The article does not say whether he will be in the squad for the Napoli match.
