Juventus striker Higuain ruled out of Sevilla clash

A left thigh injury has ruled out Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain from the crucial Champions League group stage clash against Spanish football club Sevilla on Tuesday.

Juventus are already without the injured forward duo of Paulo Dybala and Marko Pjaca. And with Higuain also injured, thanks to an injury during their 3-0 win over Pescara in the Serie A on Saturday, the Turin heavyweights are only left with a sole fit striker in Croatian Mario Mandzukic.

The 28-year-old Argentine skipped the group training on Monday. "The forward's condition will be monitored closely over the coming days," Juventus said in their website.

Italian media reported that Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri could deploy Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado and Brazilian left winger Alex Sandro beside Mandzukic as the centre forward.

Allegri also has an option in attack in teenager Moise Kean but he is unlikely to be paired up with Mandzukic. The 16-year-old Kean on Saturday made history by becoming the first footballer born in the year 2000 or later to play in any of top four European leagues of Serie A, English Premier League (EPL), German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga.

Defender Medhi Benatia, meanwhile, has not yet fully recovered from a knock to his right knee.

The match at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan will be crucial to decide the Group H topper.

--IANS

pur/dg