Juventus will kick off their Europa League campaign with a fixture against NEC Nijmegen at their home ground, Allianz Stadium, on Thursday night.Juventus vs NEC Nijmegen – Match preview and team newsDate: Thursday, 17th September.Kick-off: 8pm BST.Venue: Allianz Stadium, Torino.Juventus team newsJuventus faces an extensive selection crisis ahead of their Europa League clash, though manager Luciano Spalletti received a major boost with the return of Andrea Cambiaso and Weston McKennie to full squad training.The Bianconeri are severely depleted across all departments. Captain Manuel Locatelli is out long-term following knee surgery, while Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Jeremie Boga, Jeff Ekhator, Arkadiusz Milik, and Juan Cabal are all sidelined with injuries.Defensively, Lloyd Kelly is unavailable due to a continental suspension. Compounding these selection headaches, winger Edon Zhegrova, who recently scored a domestic brace against Sassuolo, is completely ineligible for selection after being omitted from Juventus’s official UEFA league phase squad list.Consequently, Spalletti will have to rely on a rotated starting eleven featuring several young prospects like Kerim Alajbegović to bridge the gap.NEC Nijmegen team newsNijmegen travels to Turin dealing with heavy absences of their own, forced to restructure their spine under manager Dick Schreuder.The most critical blow comes in goal, where starting goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz is serving a suspension after picking up a red card in their Champions League playoff tie, meaning backup Nikolas Polster will deputise between the posts.In attack, frontman Bryan Linssen is out injured, clearing the way for Kaj Sierhuis to start. The backline is missing Ahmetcan Kaplan and Deveron Fonville due to ankle issues, while winger Emre Mor faces a late fitness test for a groin strain.On a positive note, the Dutch side can count on the immense experience of playmaker Dusan Tadic and veteran captain Tjaronn Chery to guide their transitional lineup.FormJuventusJuventus FC enters the continental opener experiencing a turbulent, uneven start to their domestic season under Luciano Spalletti. The Bianconeri have won two of their opening four Serie A fixtures, keeping clean sheets in victories over Frosinone and Parma. However, momentum stalled significantly following a 1–1 draw with AC Milan, followed by a disappointing 3–2 defeat against Sassuolo over the weekend, exposing unexpected defensive vulnerabilities amidst their growing squad injury crisis.NEC NijmegenNijmegen travels to Italy in a severe slump, currently enduring a three-match winless run across all competitions. Dick Schreuder’s side dropped into the Europa League after a heavy 6–1 aggregate loss to Bodø/Glimt in Champions League qualifying. Their Eredivisie form has been equally concerning, failing to find consistency after a 3–1 loss to Feyenoord, a 2–2 draw with Excelsior, and a recent, bruising 3–0 away defeat at Cambuur.Predicted lineupsJuventus: Grabara; Celik, Lucumi, Gatti, Cambiaso; Sarr, Koopmeiners; Zhegrova, Gonzalez, Alajbegovic; WoltemadeNEC Nijmegen: Polster; Sandler, Storm, Bras; Tahaui, Lebreton, Nejasmic, Bischoff; Tadic, Chery; SerhuisHow to watch Juventus vs NEC Nimjegen?You can watch the Juventus vs. NEC Nijmegen match live in the UK on TNT Sports 4.Read Also – LatestSee More – HomeFollow the Football Faithful on Social Media:Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube The post Juventus vs NEC Nijmegen – Match preview and team news appeared first on The Football Faithful.