Striker Mario Mandzukic joins fellow Croatian Marko Pjaca as the latest Juventus player who is injured for the Old Lady, according to Calciomercato.com.
Mandzukic's injury comes just before Juventus' match against rivals Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo on Sunday. The forward's status for the Napoli game seems to be doubtful due to a swollen knee.
Pjaca will be out long-term after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in a friendly match with Croatia against Estonia on Tuesday. Sky Sports reports that Pjaca will have knee surgery on Friday morning.
Bianconeri manager Massimiliano Allegri will have limited options in attack if Mandzukic is out on Sunday. Moise Kean could have been the backup option behind Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala, but the 17-year-old is also injured.
Allegri will probably call up a player from Juventus' youth squad to fill the empty roster spots caused by the injuries. Luca Clemenza, Mehdi Léris or Andi Zeqiri are the players that may be called up.
The Mandzukic injury is a blow for Juventus. The 30-year-old has scored five goals and recorded three assists in league play for the Serie A leaders this year. If Mandzukic doesn't start, he enters games as a valuable substitute.
Napoli's defense has trouble keeping clean sheets and is susceptible to aerial balls in the box. Mandzukic's big frame and strength in the air would provide a real threat against the Partenopei. The forward also possesses the ability to hold on to the ball and provides a defensive contribution, which is why he has five yellow cards in the Serie A.
Juventus will have to rely on Higuain and Dybala against Napoli and hope its injured players get healthy before its first-leg match against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on April 11.