Juventus boosted by Vlahovic return ahead of Bologna clash

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic will be eligible for their home fixture against Bologna in Serie A on Saturday, coach Thiago Motta said before meeting his former side for the first time.

Vlahovic suffered a muscle problem in his left thigh during November's international break and has been sidelined since a trip to AC Milan on 23 November.

"Dusan will be in the group tomorrow. He has trained with the team this week," Motta told a press conference on Friday.

"We are happy with his return, that he can do what he likes. It's his job to go on the pitch and play football.

"Tomorrow there will be Dusan and there will also be (midfielder Vasilije) Adzic, and (defender Nicolo) Savona will also return, who was missing from the last match."

Still unavailable remain defenders Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal, midfielders Nico Gonzalez and Douglas Luiz, and forwards Arkadiusz Milik and Weston McKennie, Motta added.

The 42-year-old coach will face his former side Bologna for the first time after leaving the club to join Juventus in June.

"Bologna are doing well and are a great team," Motta said. "(But) we have to focus on what we have to do, and many other things that we should avoid.

"They play very vertically and press a lot. They will put a lot of intensity."

Motta led Bologna to the Champions League for the first time in 60 years during his two-year spell.

"In Bologna, I lived two wonderful years, both on a personal and sporting level," he added.

SCORING DROUGHT

Sitting sixth in the standings with 26 points – six off leaders Napoli – Juventus have missed out on opportunities to close the gap to the top of the table, drawing four of their last six Serie A games.

They have also endured a scoring drought, having found the net once in their last three games across all competitions.

"We're coming off a few games that we haven't won," Motta said. "In some we've had good performances, but we need to improve.

"We can't just focus on one phase of the game to get the result we want. Today our offensive phase is everyone's responsibility, starting with our goalkeeper.

"The more we arrive with the right men up front, the more likely we are to score. At the same time we need to defend well and prevent our opponent from creating anything."