Juventus’s treble bid suffered a devastating blow after their key defender Giorgio Chiellini has been ruled out of the final against FC Barcelona.
He left training early on Wednesday as a precautionary measure, where he had been reportedly suffering with a calf problem. It was not deemed to be serious then. Some pundits labelled him as the only hope Juventus have against the devastating MSN trio.
He has been one of the star performers for Juventus this season, with the team having conceded only 37 goals thrroughout. They also won their 4 Serie A in a row and their first Coppa Italia in over 20 years.
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Juventus come into this tie as the underdogs against the high flying and confident Catalan Giants in their quest to win the 3 Champions League Trophy (in their 8 finals appearance), along with their first treble.
The Bianconeri have won 71.1% of their games this season when he has played, compared to only 45.5% times when he has not.
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A statement on Juventus’s Website read
The Bianconeri were in Vinovo this morning, running through their final Champions League preparations on Italian soil before departing for Berlin tomorrow. As the clock ticks down to Saturday’s showpiece event at the Olympiastadion, Massimiliano Allegri’s men focused on tactics at Juventus Center.
“Missing out on the sitting was Giorgio Chiellini, who underwent tests after reporting discomfort in his calf on Wednesday. The scan revealed a first grade tear of the soleus muscle in his left leg, meaning the defender will miss Saturday’s final with Barcelona.”
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He is likely to be replaced by 34 year old Andrea Barzagli, who recovered from a serious injury in 2014. He played his first game this season on 9 March. Despite the lack of time on the pitch this season, Barzagli has produced solid defensive performances overall. He has been effective either in the heart of a back four or on the right of a back three.
Juventus leave for Berlin on Friday morning for their Champions League clash against Barcelona.
