McKennie out of Juventus squad for AZ Alkmaar, Ekhator returns

Weston McKennie has been left out of Juventus' squad for their Europa League match at AZ Alkmaar after suffering muscle fatigue, Corriere dello Sport reported. The United States midfielder came off worse from the recent Serie A match against Napoli.

Luciano Spalletti's squad for the fourth round of the league phase also lacks long-term absentees Yildiz, Locatelli and Thuram, plus Edon Zhegrova, who was excluded from the UEFA list at the start of the season, Celik and Nico Gonzalez. Ekhator has recovered and was added to the European squad in place of the injured Locatelli.

Several Next Gen players were called up: Owusu, Pagnucco, Elimoghale and Merola. Juventus are seeking to protect their unbeaten record in international competition, the report said.