Domestic and European squad omissions

Juventus submitted their official 25-man squad list for the 2026/2027 Serie A season, omitting Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik from the roster. The exclusion followed an earlier decision by manager Luciano Spalletti to leave the forward out of the squad registered for the UEFA Europa League league phase. French midfielder Khephren Thuram was also omitted from the 25-player league list due to knee surgery. For Milik, the consecutive omissions mean he cannot feature in Serie A or European matches in the opening half of the season. Italian sports media pointed to persistent concerns over his physical readiness as the central reason for the decision.

“The Polish striker pays for the lack of guarantees on a physical level, having only two official appearances in the last two seasons at Juventus.”

Pre-season appearances and attacking competition

Milik resumed team training in March 2026 following a protracted recovery from a knee injury suffered in June 2024 against Ukraine. He returned to match action in mid-July 2026 during a pre-season friendly against Swiss club FC Basel. Spalletti subsequently gave him playing time in additional warm-up matches against Chelsea and Palermo, with Milik scoring a goal against Palermo. Despite those appearances, the striker remained an unused substitute throughout Juventus's first two Serie A matches of the campaign against Frosinone and Parma. Squad competition in the forward line grew further with this week's signing of German international forward Nick Woltemade from Newcastle, who joins French international Randal Kolo Muani in the rotation.

Transfer inquiries and registration constraints

With Milik's position at the club uncertain, Polish club Widzew Łódź contacted Juventus several weeks ago to explore a potential transfer. Journalist Piotr Koźmiński reported that the Ekstraklasa side investigated the conditions for a deal, though no formal offer was submitted and discussions did not advance. Milik has not received appealing transfer offers, and returning to the Polish league is not his preferred career priority. Juventus faces strict regulatory constraints regarding their roster composition. Serie A rules permit the club's board to execute only two squad list changes before the winter transfer window opens, provided that vacant spots exist within the 25-man ceiling.

Career statistics and remaining fixtures

Milik joined Juventus in 2022 and has since accumulated 17 goals in 77 appearances across all competitions for the club. His activity over the last two campaigns was limited to two official matches due to recurring fitness problems, and his contract is variously reported to run until either the end of this season or June 2027. His last appearance for the Polish national team took place in June 2024 before Euro 2024. The Coppa Italia remains the striker's only remaining domestic avenue for competitive minutes in Turin unless he is added back to the Serie A list. Juventus begins their Europa League campaign on 17 September 2026 against Dutch club NEC Nijmegen, before facing Celta Vigo, Stade Rennes, AZ Alkmaar, Omonia Nicosia, Hapoel Beer Sheva, Ferencvaros, and Real Sociedad.