Official: Spalletti without nine Juventus players in squad to face Sassuolo
TURIN, ITALY - AUGUST 29: Players of Juventus pose for a team photograph before the Serie A match between Juventus and Parma Calcio at Allianz Stadium on August 29, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Luciano Spalletti has confirmed his squad of 22 players to take on Sassuolo in Serie A on Sunday evening, but he will have to do without nine of his senior stars including the likes of Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli.
Juventus have hit an early injury crisis after a handful of 2026-27 fixtures, with nine first-team players unavailable for Sunday’s match away at the Mapei Stadium. Yildiz, Locatelli, Thuram, Weston McKennie, Andrea Cambiaso, Jeremie Boga, Jeff Ekhator, Juan Cabal and Arkadiusz Milik all miss out this weekend.
This leaves Spalletti without three of his first-choice midfielders with Locatelli, Thuram and McKennie ruled out. Douglas Luiz and Teun Koopmeiners, both players that Juventus have sought to sell in the past, will be the enforced midfield against Sassuolo.
Pape Matar Sarr has also been included in the matchday squad for the first time since his summer transfer from Tottenham and youngster Augusto Owusu has also been called up to the senior squad in midfield.
Fellow summer signing Nick Woltemade will also be involved, but it remains to be seen whether that will be from the start or off the substitutes bench. Kerim Alajbegovic is expected to continue on the left of the Juventus attack in the absence of Yildiz and Boga.
Spalletti has also called up 20-year-old defender and Italy U20 international Filippo Pagnucco as well as 20-year-old English attacker Juston Oboavwoduo for Sunday’s game against Sassuolo.
Kick-off is due at 19.45 BST.
Confirmed Juventus squad vs. Sassuolo
Goalkeepers: Vicario, Grabara, Pinsoglio.
Defenders: Celik, Bremer, Gatti, Kelly, Kalulu, Rugani, Lucumi, Pagnucco.
Midfielders: Koopmeiners, D.Luiz, Sarr, Owusu.
Forwards: Conceicao, Kolo Muani, Zhegrova, Alajbegovic, Woltemade, N.Gonzalez, Oboavwoduo.
I calciatori convocati per #SassuoloJuve 📜⚪⚫
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— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) September 13, 2026
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