Juventus forward Edon Zhegrova was absent from the squad Luciano Spalletti named for the bianconeri's preseason friendly against Standard Liège in Belgium, joining Kenan Yildiz and Teun Koopmeiners on a list of notable omissions as the club continues to reshape its attacking options ahead of 2026-27.
The exclusion carries weight beyond routine rotation management. Zhegrova arrives at this preseason having contributed zero goals and zero assists across 18 Serie A appearances in 2025-26, carrying an average match rating of 6.70 — numbers that describe a player who was present but not decisive. At 27, he is at the age where a forward either consolidates his place in a project or becomes expendable to it. Spalletti's Juventus, which finished sixth on 68 points and missed Champions League qualification, is not a club that can afford to carry passengers into the next cycle.
The squad construction signals around Zhegrova are not encouraging. Juventus are actively pursuing a striker — Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United has been identified as a target — and the goalkeeper situation remains unresolved, with negotiations for Emiliano Martinez at a standstill and alternatives being considered. When a club's transfer energy is concentrated elsewhere, peripheral attackers rarely benefit from the distraction.
Zhegrova's AI overall rating of 55 out of 100 suggests the ceiling exists but has not been reached at Juventus. The gap between current output and projected capacity is precisely the kind of argument a selling club makes and a buying club discounts. A player who has not converted that potential into Serie A contributions by 27 faces a narrowing window to do so at this level.
Being left out of a preseason friendly alongside two higher-profile names may soften the optics, but the context is different for each. Zhegrova's omission follows a season of statistical invisibility, not injury or workload management. Spalletti has shown no public indication of building around him, and the club's transfer activity points toward additions rather than extensions of trust.
The Kosovar forward's position at Juventus is not yet formally resolved, but the direction is clear enough.