Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain is expected to be fit for their Champions League last-16 second leg against Tottenham Hotspur, according to Sky Italia.
The broadcaster report that Higuain’s ankle injury, sustained against Torino over the weekend, is only expected to keep the 30-year-old out for a week in a massive boost for the Italian champions.
Sky claim that Higuain’s injury is just a bruise, and Juventus are not worried about the long-term fitness of their key forward, who scored twice in the 2-2 first leg draw.
The outlook for winger Federico Bernardeschi is less positive, with the 24-year-old’s knee reportedly too swollen to carry out the full scans on Monday.
It is said that Juventus will wait until Tuesday to fully assess Bernardeschi’s injury, with there being worries that he has suffered ligament damage.
OPINION
The return of Higuain for the Tottenham clash will be key for the Bianconeri, who also expect to welcome back Paulo Dybala for the second leg. If they have both strikers playing, Juventus will most definitely have a great chance of going through to the quarter-finals. Bernardeschi’s absence will be a blow, and with the winger’s knee injury sounding quite serious, that absence is looking likely. Juve have it all to do in the second leg, with Spurs holding onto two away goals, but their European experience will come in handy against an inexperienced Tottenham side.