Kenan Yildiz Misses Juventus Training Amid Manchester United Links
Kenan Yildiz is one of Juventus' most important players.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 15 January 2026
Kenan Yildiz missed Juventus training on Thursday, raising a small fitness concern ahead of Saturday’s Serie A trip to Cagliari.
Italian reports say the 20-year-old stayed away from the session at Continassa because of flu symptoms.
Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti will now wait to see how Yildiz responds over the next day or two before making a final call.
The update also arrives with transfer noise in the background, after reports in England linked Yildiz to Manchester United.
How many games Kenan Yildiz has missed for Juventus this season
Several Italian sources reported that Kenan Yildiz sat training out because of illness, with his availability for Cagliari still unclear.
Juventus will assess him again on Friday, with the club expected to take a cautious approach if he is still weak or feverish.
Yildiz has become a key player for Luciano Spalletti’s side, registering eight goals and eight assists from 26 outings this season.
He has only missed one Juve game so far this term, sitting out the 2-1 win over Cremonese in November due to knee problems.
Indeed, Yildiz has started all but two of the games in which he has been available, and has come on as a substitute in the other two.
⚪️⚫️ #Juventus – #Spalletti sorride: #Conceicao e #Gatti tornano in gruppo a due giorni dalla trasferta di #Cagliari
A riposo e niente allenamento oggi per #Yildiz a causa di una sindrome influenzale
— Giorgio Musso (@GiokerMusso) January 15, 2026
With Juve snapping at Napoli and AC Milan’s heels, Spalletti will hope Yildiz can recover in time for Cagliari.
On a brighter note for Juve, Federico Gatti and Francisco Conceicao returned to full training on Thursday.
Manchester United links with Kenan Yildiz and what happens next
Reports in England say Manchester United are monitoring Kenan Yildiz as a possible long-term target.
TEAMtalk have reported that United see Yildiz as a candidate if Bruno Fernandes leaves amid Saudi links.
There is no suggestion of a formal bid yet. However, the links show how quickly a young player’s name can travel when he performs well.
In addition, contract talks between Juve and Yildiz are yet to yield a breakthrough.
There had been an expectation in Turin that Yildiz would have penned a new deal by the end of 2025.
The arrival of sporting director Marco Ottolini was seen as a catalyst to push negotiations over the line.
But until this happens, transfer speculation will continue to do the rounds.
Juventus search for Kenan Yildiz cover goes on
Juventus are mindful of the fact Kenan Yildiz is playing a lot, while they don’t have much cover in his position.
While Yildiz is shining and would be a guaranteed starter if available, Luciano Spalletti would like specific cover on the left to prevent burnout.
Kevin Schade, Simon Adingra and Mikkel Damsgaard are all said to be on Juventus’ wish list as cover for Yildiz.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
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