Torino risk losing pivotal midfielder for Derby showdown against Juventus | OneFootball

Torino might have to do without their captain and playmaker Samuele Ricci in the Derby della Mole clash against Juventus.

The two crosstown rivals will lock horns for the second time this season. While the Bianconeri prevailed back in November at the Allianz Stadium thanks to goals from Timothy Weah and Kenan Yildiz, the Granata will be hoping to return the favour on their home ground.

However, Paolo Vanoli is left to sweat over the condition of Ricci, who is certainly one of the most elemental players at his disposal. The 23-year-old left the pitch after the first half in yesterday’s goalless draw against Parma.

“Let’s hope it’s nothing serious, he felt a little discomfort on the rectum. Then we’ll see after the instrumental tests,” said the Torino manager in his post-match interview with DAZN via IlBianconero.

“I’m always focused on the next match, now there’s the derby and the club is working. I just have to think about the pitch,” concluded the 52-year-old.

Ricci has been an ever-present figure for Il Toro since the beginning of the season, starting in all 19 Serie A fixtures thus far.

The midfielder started his career at Empoli and had his big breakthrough during the 2021/22 campaign, which prompted a mid-season transfer to Turin. Since then, the Italian has been growing from strength to strength, and has now cemented himself as a key figure in Luciano Spalletti’s national team, gaining a starting place at the expense of the likes of Manuel Locatelli, Nicolo Fagioli and Nicolo Rovella.

Therefore, losing the services of the deep-lying playmaker would be a major blow for Vanoli’s side.

That being said, Juventus will also be without several key players, beginning with long-term absentees Gleison Bremer and Arkadiusz Milik. Moreover, Francisco Conceicao is unlikely to recover in time for this fixture, while Manuel Locatelli will be serving a one-match ban.