Torino face defensive crisis ahead of Verona clash

Torino are facing a defensive crisis ahead of their upcoming Serie A match against Verona, with two key defenders ruled out due to injury. Saul Coco and Mergim Vojvoda will both miss the trip to the Stadio Bentegodi on Friday night, forcing manager Ivan Juric to reshuffle his backline.

La Gazzetta dello Sport report how Medical tests revealed that Vojvoda has suffered an elongation of the left semitendinosus muscle, while Coco is dealing with fatigue in his biceps femoris. While neither injury is expected to keep the players sidelined long-term, they will not recover in time for Friday’s match.

This leaves Juric with some difficult decisions to make regarding his defensive setup. One option is to hand a debut to Chilean center-back Gary Medel, though he is still working on his match fitness. Alternatively, Juric could shift to a back four, which would allow him to utilize fullbacks like Pedersen and Sosa.

The manager is also considering deploying midfielders like Tameze or Dembele in defensive roles to plug the gaps. Walukiewicz could potentially move into a central position, which is his more natural role.

With only two training sessions remaining before the match, Juric will need to quickly decide on his best defensive configuration to face Verona. The injuries have certainly complicated his preparations, but the coach has several options at his disposal to field a competitive backline despite the absences of Coco and Vojvoda.