Jeff Ekhator finally joined his Juventus teammates on the training ground. The young striker, who signed from Genoa in the summer, took part in a full-squad meeting in Continassa on Friday for the first time since muscle problems have ruled him out of every competitive game in black and white so far.
His return gives Luciano Spalletti a name to watch out for during a week where the team is held together at the training center ahead of Sunday’s trip to Napoli.
A nervous start in Turin
On July 1, Juventus announced the permanent deal, with Football Italia adding the fee to €16 million. The 19-year-old has been virtually non-existent since then.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sport Italia, his problems began in the first pre-season friendly against Basel. He recovered in time to make the squad for the second leg of Serie A against Parma, where he remained on the bench, but collapsed again a few days later and was out for nearly two months.
Di Marzio describes the forward as fully recovered and Friday’s meeting with the rest of the squad was his first since the setback.
Jeff Ekhator signed a permanent contract with Juventus from Genoa! ⚪️⚫️ Welcome to the club, Jeff! 🙌
JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) July 1, 2026
A place that suits Spalletti’s attack
No one should expect Ekhator to drop into the starting XI without a long playing experience. Football Italia see him more as an additional option off the bench, giving Spalletti a third centre-forward alongside Nick Woltemade and Randal Kolo Muani.
This alone is important for the side fighting for the goals. Juventus scored 11 times in 9 league games and lost 2-0 to Genoa on Wednesday Report on Spalletti’s apologyleft them equal with “Napoli” with 14 points.
Busy weekend in Continassa
His turnaround time is remarkable. After the Genoa defeat, chief executive Giovanni Carnevali met with the players and coach, and Spalletti decided to keep the squad together on the training ground until kick-off, as explained in our article. Juventus retreated.
Napoli come to the Allianz Stadium for the 10th match on Sunday, November 1, starting at 20:45 local time. According to the club’s own match records, it is the first time since April 2021 that two sides have met on the same points in Serie A.
Whether or not Ekhator will be included in the matchday squad will be clear when Spalletti names his squad. Either way, the young striker’s return to training is rare good news for Juventus this week.
Sources: Gianluca Di Marzio, Football Italia, Juventus