Juventus Faces Sassuolo: Injury Concerns and Midfield Changes

Teun Koopmeiners is set to be thrown straight back into the Juventus engine room as Luciano Spalletti wrestles with an early-season injury pile-up before Sunday night’s Serie A trip to Sassuolo.

Juventus head to the Mapei Stadium aiming to protect their unbeaten start to the 2026-27 campaign, with kick-off at 19.45 BST. Two wins over Frosinone and Parma gave the new season a clean, sharp edge. Milan then blunted that momentum with a 1-1 draw in Turin last weekend.

Sassuolo sit mid-table in 10th, their start as mixed as it looks on paper: one win, one draw, one defeat from three. For them, this is a chance to bloody a heavyweight’s nose. For Juventus, it already feels like a test of depth and resolve.

Spalletti turns to ‘unwanted’ duo

The biggest headache lies in midfield. Captain Manuel Locatelli is out for the next few months. Khephren Thuram is in the same boat. Weston McKennie is not ready yet either.

So the spotlight swings back onto two players who, not long ago, looked destined to be moved on. Koopmeiners and Douglas Luiz, once filed under “expendable”, now form the core of Spalletti’s double pivot.

Koopmeiners, who made his mark in Europe with key goals last season, is expected to step straight into the XI. Douglas Luiz partners him, offering balance and bite in front of the back four. Suddenly, the “unwanted” are indispensable.

There is at least one fresh option: Tottenham loanee Pape Matar Sarr is in line for his first matchday squad appearance since his summer switch to Turin. Spalletti gains another body in midfield, even if only from the bench.

Attacking reshuffle continues

The absentees don’t stop there. Kenan Yildiz is also unavailable, forcing Spalletti to persist with his reshaped attacking line.

Kerim Alajbegovic, a summer signing, stepped in against Milan and is expected to keep his place, operating behind the front line again at the Mapei. Reports from Sky Sport Italia indicate that Nico Gonzalez is likely to be trusted in the central attacking midfield role, edging ahead of Nick Woltemade in that particular selection battle.

Randal Kolo Muani leads the line, with Conceicao and Gonzalez offering the support and Alajbegovic filling the final slot in the trio behind him.

At the back, the list of absentees continues: Andrea Cambiaso, Jeremie Boga, Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal are all not expected to feature, limiting Spalletti’s flexibility in the wide and defensive areas.

Probable line-ups

Sassuolo are expected to stick with a 4-3-3, with a familiar shape and a familiar threat from the flanks:

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

Juventus respond with a 4-2-3-1 built around that rebuilt midfield axis and a fluid attacking quartet:

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

Where to watch

For viewers in the UK, Sassuolo vs. Juventus will be shown live on TNT Sports 1, HBO Max and DAZN. Fans in the USA can follow the action on Paramount+.

Kick-off is set. The injuries are mounting. The unbeaten record is on the line. Now it’s down to Spalletti’s patched-up Juventus to show whether early-season resilience matches early-season promise.