SERIE A
Timothy Weah ruled out of Inter Milan clash: what is Derby d’Italia?
The USMNT and Juventus forward picked up a thigh injury in a recent game against Hellas Verona and missed the international fixtures.
USMNT star Timothy Weah has been ruled out of Juventus’ next fixture, a mouth-watering clash against Inter Milan.
The 23-year-old picked up a thigh injury in last month’s win over Hellas Verona and was forced to leave the field. Juventus later released a statement confirming that he had suffered a “low-grade tear to the semitendinosus in his right thigh” and would be receiving treatment.
As of Tuesday, Sky Sport Italia reports that Weah has suffered a complication in his rehabilitation and will not be able to play any part.
Weah was unable to join the USMNT squad for the recent international fixtures against Trinidad and Tobago, but it was hoped that he would be able to feature for Juve once the domestic calendar resumes.
Head coach Massimiliano Allegri is now hoping to have him back for the Serie A game against Napoli in early December.
What is Derby d’Italia?
This weekend two of the most successful teams in Italian soccer go head-to-head in the iconic derby match. Juventus and Inter Milan first met in November 1909 and their incredible success over the following decades has seen the fixture become one of the most celebrated in Italy.
The name ‘Derby d’Italia’ was coined in 1967 by Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera, who identified the game as the most illustrious in the country.
This weekend’s fixture holds particular significance with the two teams leading the way at the top of Serie A. Inter are currently first, with 31 points from their opening 12 league fixtures. Juventus are just two points behind them and are on a five-match winning streak.
No team has won more Serie A titles than Juventus (36) and Inter Milan (19) and the two titans of Italian soccer look set to battle it out again this year. Ahead of the game Juventus boss Allegri insisted that Inter Milan are the favourites to claim Derby d’Italia bragging rights.
“Anything can happen in a single match,” Allegri said. “They are favourites together with Milan and Napoli. Inter have been built for years to win the Scudetto, they have the strength to do it. I believe they have a great chance to win.”