Juventus freeze out duo after rejecting Nottingham Forest transfer

Juventus have left Timothy Weah and Samuel Mbangula out of the Club World Cup squad for the Manchester City clash after they rejected a Nottingham Forest transfer.

Coach Igor Tudor made six changes from the side that defeated Wydad AC and Al-Ain in the FIFA Club World Cup to secure their place in the last 16, while the duo were not even on the bench against Manchester City.

This follows a report from Tuttosport that Juventus were on the verge of agreeing on a double sale to Nottingham Forest for €23m,  only for the players to put the brakes on.

According to reports, they were not interested in joining this particular Premier League side. They would l prefer to either wait for other options or hope Juve will reinstate them back into the team.

Leaving them out of the squad entirely is a signal that Igo Tudor, who just signed a new deal, might not have them in his plan for next season.

Meanwhile, Tudor had, ahead of their clash with Man City, warned his players the past means nothing and that they must be ready every time.

Although both teams have already secured their spot in the knockout rounds, it’s now a head-to-head battle to win the group.

Juventus, with a draw, will top the group because of their superior goal advantage over the Citizens.

“This is the game everyone wants to play. I chose strong players and a strong team, then we’ll see what happens. I expect changes in the second half, too,” Tudor told DAZN.

Part of the six changes made by the Croatian in the starting line-up include Dusan Vlahovic and the return of Filip Kostic after a year out on loan to Fenerbahce.

The tactician further noted that many players with great quality haven’t played so far because they needed to get in shape.