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Juventus have suffered a fresh injury blow as Andrea Pirlo has revealed Cristiano Ronaldo will not be in the squad for their Serie A clash with Atalanta on Sunday.
The Juventus head coach claimed Cristiano Ronaldo picked up a thigh flexor problem in the 3-1 win over Genoa last time out and had been unable to train normally since then.
In a bid to avoid the injury from becoming severe, Juventus have now opted to play safe by resting the 36-year-old superstar.
Speaking in a pre-game interview, Pirlo claimed Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata will both lead the Juventus attack on Sunday as they “won’t take risks” with Cristiano Ronaldo’s fitness.
"Cristiano Ronaldo has a problem with his thigh flexors, he won't be there against Atalanta. We will try to recover him for Wednesday [against Parma].
"He wasn’t able to push the way he wanted to in training this week and we prefer not to risk it. The internationals didn't help, he's been playing a lot lately. Paulo Dybala will start tomorrow," Pirlo was quoted as saying by Goal.
Juventus continue their push for a top-four finish
Juventus kept their hopes of a top-four finish alive when their 2-1 win over Napoli was followed by an impressive 3-1 victory over Genoa last time out.
Similarly, Atalanta’s impressive form in recent weeks has seen them surge into fourth place in the Serie A table.
With just one point separating Atalanta and Juventus, failure to win here could be a blow in their race for a place in next season’s Champions League competition.
However, Juventus will now have to pass this stern test of claiming the win without their star man Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo has hit 25 goals in 27 league games for Juventus this season and currently tops the Serie A scoring charts.
Meanwhile, Juventus will be boosted by the return of a few key players, with central defensive duo Merih Demiral and Leonardo Bonucci in contention to feature following their return from isolation.
"Arthur and McKennie are fine, they are fully available for tomorrow. Bonucci, after Covid, is doing a specific job to get back to top shape.
"[Juan] Cuadrado can be a solution, both high and low. We have thought of various situations,” Pirlo added.
