After having to miss the last two games for Juventus to recover from a minor knee injury, local reports out of Turin indicate that USMNT star Weston McKennie will be ready to go for their final Champions League game against Malmö on Wednesday.
McKennie left Juventus’s 1-0 loss to Atalanta early on November 27 with visible pain in his right knee, with immediate reports after the game stoking fears that a long absence could be in store for the American star.
Fortunately, examinations by the team the following afternoon indicated only minor damage, and after missing their next two games, both of them wins against Serie A bottom-feeders, the American is set to return on Wednesday afternoon against Malmö.
Earlier today, a report from of Turin-based news outlet Tuttosport was set to return to group training with the full team today, and will be available on Wednesday.
McKennie underwent individual training immediately prior to their Serie A game against Genoa last night, a 2-0 win for the Bianconeri, and today’s post-game recovery training session for the players is a good bridge for the player to rejoin his teammates.
Recently, McKennie had been going from strength to strength prior to the Atalanta game, starting five of their last six league games and all of their previous three Champions League group games, while becoming increasingly recognized as one of the more reliable performers in a generally underwhelming Juventus team.
Wednesday’s clash against Group H last-place team Malmö, has little bearing on Juventus’s place in the Champions League knockout round, as they are already through to the final 16, and are likely to finish in second place, barring a surprise in the other game between Chelsea and Zenit.
With the American a near certainty to be in uniform, the only question is whether head coach Massimiliano Allegri will use the game to bring the American back to full-match fitness with a start, or use him as a substitute with an eye towards minimizing further risk before their final three Serie A games of 2021.
