Juventus defender Giorgio
Chiellini has been ruled out Saturday's Champions League final
against Barcelona after tests Thursday on a calf strain he
suffered in training on Wednesday.
The loss of the Italy defender is a massive blow to the
Turin giants' hopes of winning their third European champions
title in Berlin on Saturday.
Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri has two options to replace
Chiellini.
He could draft in Andrea Barzagli, who, however, is
himself coming back from a thigh-muscle injury he suffered in a
3-1 win over Napoli almost two weeks ago.
The other candidate to cope with the the threat posed by
Leo Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez is the less-experienced Angelo
Ogbonna.
Chiellini's absence means the much-anticipated match-up
against Suarez, who bit the Italian during a 1-0 defeat that saw
the Azzurri exit last year's World Cup in Brazil in the group
stage, will not take place.
The Turin giants, like Barcelona, are aiming to complete a
treble after pulling off a domestic League-Cup double.
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