Juventus have officially issued their 23-man list for the group stage of the Champions League. The Bianconeri had to leave two spots open due to the limited numbers of home-grown players on the roster. They opted to exclude Kaio Jorge, who joined from Santos this summer, and Luca Pellegrini, who stayed put after two loan spells.
The Brazilian starlet recently suffered a thigh strain that could sideline him for up to six weeks. Despite the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus have a few alternatives up front. Moreover, Kaio Jorge will probably be integrated slowly, as it is always the case with youngsters under the tutelage of Massimiliano Allegri. The Bianconeri acquired the touted 19-year-old for a €1.5M fee plus €2.5M potential add-ons.
Pellegrini turned down offers from Sampdoria and West Ham on deadline day to be finally part of the Juventus squad. He will back up Alex Sandro in Serie A, but not in Europe. Danilo and Mattia De Sciglio would eventually take care of the left-back position if the starter were unavailable.
Instead, Arthur made the cut. The midfielder underwent surgery in July to remove a lower leg ossification that had been bothering him for months. The coach said in his last presser that his rehab is proceeding well. He could be back for the third or fourth Champions League game, La Repubblica reports. Juventus will face Chelsea, Zenit, and Malmoe in the first phase of the top continental competition. They will open with an away game in Sweden on September 14th.