Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday and will need to self-isolate for a minimum of 10 days. The former Real Madrid man was on international duty for Portugal’s latest UEFA Nations League clashes when he got the news and will miss the Bianconeri’s upcoming affairs, leaving rookie manager Andrea Pirlo with quite the dilemma.
The Italian champions embark on an extremely congested fixture list after the international break that will see Juventus play 17 games in 66 days. Ronaldo will arguably miss the next two weeks of action, including games against Crotone and Hellas Verona in addition to his side’s Champions League opener against Dynamo Kiev. The biggest question mark, however, remains Juve’s intriguing battle with Barcelona. Pirlo’s men take on the Spanish giants on October 28th and will want his star man for a potentially group-defining battle.
According to protocol, Ronaldo will need to test negative twice before returning to Torino. As a result, Juventus will likely be missing their talisman for the foreseeable future, leaving a gaping hole in their frontline. In any case, the Bianconeri’s summer business has significantly bolstered their offensive ranks and offer Pirlo a multitude of options in Ronaldo’s absence.
For one, Paulo Dybala is slowly returning to action and should step up without Ronaldo in the lineup. La Joya will look to offer a creative spark in the final third in Pirlo’s new-look system and help Juve hit the ground running in Europe. Dybala has thrived in a two-striker setup in the past and should slot in seamlessly. The main concern for Juve is not rushing the 26-year-old back into action too soon and aggravate his injury.
Beyond Dybala, Pirlo has a plethora of attacking options. Summer arrival Dejan Kulusevski has made an instant impact since joining from Parma, netting a goal on his debut. The Swedish international possesses a very similar skill-set to Dybala and is always looking to carve open the opposition’s defense. Pirlo has experimented with Kulusevski at wingback, but as the former Parma man gains more familiarity in his system, expect him to slot into the front two. A Dybala-Kulusevski front two is intriguing but ultimately lacks a dominant presence to hold up play. Both players like to drop deep or drift wide and arguably need to play off a striker.
That’s where Alvaro Morata comes in. The former Chelsea man joined the side this summer and will be eager to open his account on the season. Juve’s upcoming game against the newly promoted Crotone is a good opportunity to do so and Morata should get the nod. The 27-year-old has played in a front two alongside Dybala in the past and will look to rekindle that partnership in Ronaldo’s absence. Morata showed glimpses of his speed in his debut against Roma but will need to be better in and around the area.
The last question mark is Juve’s deadline day arrival, Federico Chiesa. Pirlo is yet to deploy a front three, indicating Chiesa’s future is arguably at wingback. Should the rookie tactician elect to play a front three, the former Fiorentina man is the obvious option out wide and should offer Juve some much-needed unpredictability in the final third.
All in all, Ronaldo’s absence does not come at the worst time. It may be early days, but his temporary quarantine offers many of Juventus’s budding stars the opportunity to assert themselves in the lineup and break through. Kulusevski, Morata, and Chiesa all have what it takes to step up and offer Pirlo a truly versatile front three. The Bianconeri’s schedule – bar the Barcelona game – is not exactly daunting, giving Pirlo further flexibility to experiment with his new-look frontline.
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