A bench is certainly not the most welcome birthday present for a footballer, but after the efforts (and the blow to the right ankle) on Wednesday evening against Manchester City, the last of five matches as a starter in 19 days, a Francisco Conceicao tonight perhaps he won’t mind celebrating his 22nd birthday too much by watching his teammates start the match against Venezia. There will be in its place Timothy Weah and if Thiago Motta thought to save the Portuguese for Tuesday’s Italian Cup match against Cagliari, but still needed verve going forward in the final, he could do so by resorting to Nico Gonzalez. Finally.
More than two months have passed since the Argentine striker sat down on the grass of the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, touching his right thigh, in the 12th minute of the match between the Germans and Juventus: a low-grade lesion of the rectus femoris prognosis, three-four weeks is the usual recovery time, which however has been extended to date. Depriving Motta and Juve of one of the flagships of the signing campaign: technical, quick, imaginative striker and the most suitable, in case of need (and there was…), to replace Dusan Vlahovic despite not being a first striker. His lack as a right-wing striker was felt less – but it was felt, because the characteristics are different – because in that position Conceicao it exploded with a speed and effectiveness equal to that with which man aims. Skills which, however, risk being tarnished by fatigue, so what here is the return of Nico Gonzalezwhich at first glance might seem like a “problem” for Chico, as he is an uncomfortable competitor for a starting position, will probably prove to be a help capable of exalting him even more.
Related News :