Contrary to reports, Juventus defender Matthijs De Ligt has missed the last five games due to an ongoing injury problem.

Speculation in Spanish press and elsewhere has suggested that the centre-back has been dropped from the starting XI due to the form of Merih Demiral and Leonardo Bonucci.

Tuttosport and Corriere Dello Sport report that the youngster has been out of action for a month due to an ongoing shoulder problem and an issue with his adductor that stretches back to before Juve’s victory over Atalanta.

The 20-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder in that match and came back onto the pitch but has struggled since, however the Turin based daily reports that the decision to sit out recent games was taken in conjunction with coach Maurizio Sarri.

Despite the injury, Juventus have no concerns over the defender and are confident he will ‘explode’ in 2020.