Serie A kicks off at the Stadio Benito Stirpe with Frosinone hosting a Juventus side that arrives under new coach Luciano Spalletti. Frosinone will look to exploit a makeshift Juve defence missing Gatti and goalkeeper Di Gregorio, but the visitors still boast superior quality in…
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Sign inFrosinone kick off their 2026‑27 Serie A campaign at home to Juventus on Sunday 23 August at the Stadio Benito Stirpe, with both sides carrying significant team news into the first weekend of the season.
Juventus received a welcome boost as midfielder Khephren Thuram returned to full training this week. Thuram had been struggling with an injury carried over from the final weeks of last term and the post‑season break was not enough for a full recovery, but he is now back with the group and building fitness. Manager Luciano Spalletti will still need to manage his minutes carefully, especially with Douglas Luiz and Arthur Melo also competing for places in the engine room.
There is less positive news concerning forward Jeff Ekhator. The youngster suffered a biceps femoris injury in his right leg during a pre‑season friendly against Basel and has begun rehabilitation. FotMob currently lists him as unavailable for the trip to Frosinone, and his status will be monitored right up to kick‑off.
For the hosts, goalkeeper Sebastiano Desplanches is a fitness doubt. The Frenchman picked up a knock in the build‑up to the campaign and his availability is likely to be decided late. Frosinone’s recent friendly against Lazio gave a glimpse of the core group available to coach Massimiliano Alvini, with a starting XI of Palmisani, Calvani, Amey, Koutsoupias, Raimondo, Calò, Cichella, Kvernadze, Fini, Bracaglia and Monterisi. Ghedjemis was among the substitutes that day, but the 15‑goal forward from the previous league season is expected to play a central role against Juventus.
Frosinone are back in Serie A after a promotion campaign built on a resolute second half of the season. The Canarini found their best form when it mattered most, stringing together a decisive run of results to secure their place among the elite. Much of that success was down to the transitional threat of Ghedjemis, whose movement and finishing turned tight games in Frosinone’s favour. Alvini’s side will lean heavily on that counter‑attacking identity to make life uncomfortable for a Juventus team still finding its rhythm on the opening weekend.
Thuram’s return gives Spalletti another option, but the Frenchman is stepping into a midfield area that has been strengthened over the summer. Douglas Luiz and Arthur Melo offer different profiles, and the competition could push Thuram to rediscover the sharpness that made him a key figure before his injury. How Spalletti balances the trio – or whether Thuram is eased back from the bench – will be one of the subplots at the Stirpe. The goalkeeper situation remains a talking point too, with the club still exploring the market, but that is unlikely to affect the starting XI this weekend.
If Frosinone are to hurt Juventus, the route is likely to go through Ghedjemis. The winger’s 15 goals in the previous league season were largely a product of his intelligent runs in behind, and Juventus’ back line will need to be alert to the spaces he can exploit in transition. The Bianconeri’s head‑to‑head record is flawless – five wins from five meetings, including a 2‑1 victory at this very stadium in December 2023 and a 4‑0 Coppa Italia demolition in January 2024 – but Ghedjemis represents a threat that Frosinone have not previously possessed in this fixture.
This Serie A opener is the first of 38 rounds, and while a positive start is always welcome, both sides will be more concerned with performance levels than definitive statements. For Frosinone, a result against a Juventus side still tinkering with its set‑up would be a powerful signal that they belong.
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