Spalletti: Juventus will be without Vlahovic ‘for some time’ after injury vs. Cagliari

On top of Juventus’ early-game sputtering against Cagliari on Saturday night, there was also the sight of Dusan Vlahovic looking absolutely dejected as he walked toward the sideline after requesting to be subbed off by Luciano Spalletti. The injury he suffered was felt immediately, and the big Serbian striker had the kind of reaction that told you it might be one that will keep him out a few weeks.

And while we don’t know the extent of it just yet, Spalletti made it sound like we may have seen the last of Vlahovic for the 2025 calendar year.

When asked about Juventus’ No. 9 following the Bianconeri’s 2-1 win over Cagliari, Spalletti kept things short and sweet: “It’s a strain and he will be out for some time.” What “some time” means exactly likely won’t be known until Sunday or Monday when Vlahovic makes his way through the doors of J Medical and undergoes the necessary tests, but the feeling for an apparent adductor injury that he suffered in the first half of Juventus’ win

That means as Juve sit in seventh place in the table and have their Coppa Italia opener against Udinese and then a showdown with defending champions Napoli in Naples next weekend, they’re looking at the reality of not having the striker Spalletti has turned to the most since becoming manager in Turin.

Vlahovic has started all but one of the six games Spalletti has managed since joining Juventus in the last week of October. He was an unused sub in Juve’s 3-2 win over Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Without Vlahovic for what looks like at least a month due to his reported adductor strain, the main two options up front in place of the 25-year-old Serbian will almost certainly be Jonathan David or Loïs Openda. That is unless Spalletti decides now is the time to pull the trigger on a formation change and potentially play Kenan Yildiz in a more central (and advanced) role as compared to playing as one of the supporting playmakers in the 3-4-2-1 formation he has used since taking over for Igor Tudor last month.

David and Openda have scored just three goals combined this season, with two of those coming in Juventus’ second-half comeback against Bodø/Glimt. David also scored in Juventus’ season-opening win over Parma.