Juventus defender Medhi Benatia has admitted that he is going through a ‘difficult’ spell in his career.

Benatia has not played since November 11, with Leonardo Bonucci slotting straight back into Juve’s central defence after his return from Milan, and the Moroccan posted a cryptic message on Instagram.

“Many of you have left me messages of support at this difficult time and I thank you for it!” he wrote.

“I particularly want to pay tribute to the Moroccans who have taken the time to write to me!

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Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly has been omitted from the shortlist for the 2018 African Player of the Year, but Juventus’ Medhi Benatia is in.

Koulibaly’s exclusion has been heavily criticised on social media, given he helped Napoli finish second in Serie A last season, represented Senegal at the World Cup and is considered one of the world’s best centre-backs on current form.

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Juan Cuadrado is expected to miss the Derby della Mole with Torino, with Joao Cancelo also in doubt, but Medhi Benatia returns for Juventus.

It kicks off on Saturday at 19.30 GMT, click here for a match preview.

Cuadrado limped off during last night’s 2-1 Champions League defeat to Young Boys with a left knee sprain that will be evaluated over the next few days.

Cancelo missed out on that game entirely and is considered to be in doubt for the Torino match too.

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Medhi Benatia returned to Juventus training today, but Juan Cuadrado has a knee injury which will be monitored.

The Bianconeri lost to Young Boys in the Champions League last night, and returned to Turin this morning.

With the Derby della Mole against Torino on Saturday, Massimiliano Allegri’s squad had a training session on their return.

The club’s official website confirms that Benatia trained with the players who didn’t feature last night, while the rest had a cool down session.

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Alex Sandro returns to the Juventus squad to face Young Boys, but Sami Khedira and Medhi Benatia are out.

The Bianconeri will seal top spot in their Champions League group with a win in Switzerland tomorrow, and are already guaranteed a place in the Last 16.

This afternoon Massimiliano Allegri has named his squad, with left-back Alex Sandro returning after injury.

Khedira and Benatia won’t make the trip to Bern, but other than that Allegri has almost a full squad.

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Juventus have confirmed that Medhi Benatia suffered a knee injury just two days before their Champions League match at Young Boys.

A statement on Juve’s official website noted Benatia had to stop training on Monday morning ‘because of inflammation in his right knee’.

The Bianconeri have already lost Andrea Barzagli to a long layoff, so Daniele Rugani could get a run-out in Switzerland.

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VAR chief Nicola Rizzoli explains the decision not to send off Juventus’ Medhi Benatia against Milan is “explicitly subjective”.

The defender was on a booking when Gonzalo Higuain’s touch struck his hand in the penalty box.

After a VAR review, referee Paolo Mazzoleni awarded a penalty.

It was argued that if the official had deemed the handball to be deliberate, as he must have to give a penalty, then it should have resulted in a second yellow card.

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Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Juventus defender Medhi Benatia are two of the five candidates for BBC African Footballer of the Year.

There are two Serie A representatives in the shortlist announced this weekend.

Napoli centre-back Koulibaly has gone from strength to strength over the last 12 months, going close to the Scudetto with a new club record Serie A points total and impressing in the Champions League.

He also shone with Senegal at the 2018 World Cup and his price-tag is now well above €100m.

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There are reports Juventus could leave Leonardo Bonucci on the bench against his old club Milan, while Gonzalo Higuain can start.

It kicks off on Sunday at 19.30 GMT, click here for a match preview.

You’ll be able to watch it live on Eleven Sports in the UK and Ireland, check here for more details.

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Medhi Benatia has asked Paul Pogba to ‘come back home’ ahead of Juventus-Manchester United on Wednesday.

Pogba took to Instagram on Tuesday to write ‘the emotional Pogback to Turin’, referencing the hashtag United used at the time of the midfielder’s return in 2016 and the Red Devils’ trip to Juve in the Champions League.

However, the Frenchman has been linked with a move back to the Bianconeri in recent times and Benatia replied ‘come back home, my brother’ on the post.

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