Juventus forward Edon Zhegrova was absent from the starting eleven as the bianconeri drew 1-1 with Milan at home in Round 3 of Serie A, a result that leaves Spalletti's side sixth in the table with seven points from three matches. Alphadjo Cisse opened the scoring for Milan before Federico Gatti equalised deep in stoppage time, denying Juventus a win they had, by Milan coach Ruben Amorim's own admission, not deserved to lose.
For Zhegrova, the match was another chapter in a season defined by peripheral involvement. The 27-year-old has appeared in two Serie A matches in 2026-27, contributing no goals and no assists, with an average rating of 6.58. An AI overall of 47 out of 100, with a potential of 58, frames the picture of a player whose ceiling the data considers modest but not yet reached — and whose current output is tracking well below even that ceiling.
The injury crisis that shaped Juventus's selection against Milan — Nico Gonzalez, Randal Kolo Muani and Kerim Alajbegovic all featured — did not open a door for Zhegrova, which is itself a signal worth reading carefully. When a squad is stretched and a forward still does not start, the coaching staff's hierarchy becomes visible without anyone needing to say a word.
Spalletti described the match in advance as one he expected to be vivacious, with attacking approaches from both sides. The 1-1 scoreline, settled only by Gatti's late intervention, suggests the game delivered on that promise in tempo if not in clarity. Zhegrova's exclusion from the Europa League squad registration, confirmed earlier this month, already confined his season to the domestic competition. The Serie A picture is now equally constrained: two appearances, no direct contributions, and a starting berth that appears to belong to others.
Juventus have conceded just one goal in three league matches and scored four, a defensive solidity that reflects Spalletti's organisational priorities. For a forward operating on the fringes of that structure, the path to relevance runs through Serie A minutes alone — and those, so far, have been rationed.