In this traditional Juventus First Men vs Juventus Next Gen match before the Serie A 26/27 season starts, Yıldız assisted McKennie’s goal and seemed more recuperated from the knee issue he’d been dealing with since last summer. It looked like he is finding some of his old dribble rhythm back.
Looks like pure luck. 😄
From Yıldız's Instagram post about Juventus' summer camp in Hong Kong and Perth.
Juventus is getting ready for the Inter friendly match, which will be played at Optus Stadium in Perth at 7:00 AM US EDT / 1:00 PM Italy / 7:00 PM AWST on Saturday, August 8. The match will be streamed by Fox One in the US. It may also be available at Juventus.com depending on your region if you are registered on their website.
During the press conference before the match, Spalletti expressed that he sees the match as an important test of Juventus’ mentality and overall direction. He pointed out that Inter will be a tough opponent, so the team must stay compact and maintain the right attitude throughout the game. He talked about player selection as well, saying that it depends not only on training but also on travel, time‑zone fatigue, and logistics. As for the upcoming season, Spalletti said that he is confident in the new attacking options fortified by new signings and that the busy Europa League schedule will require frequent rotation, but Juventus has plenty of alternatives to handle it.
Spaletti’ said the following regarding whether Yıldız play in tomorrow’s match: “As for Yildiz, I have to take all of this into account: tomorrow morning we’ll talk to understand who still needs to recover or not. For that reason, whether he starts or not, I prefer to say it close to kickoff; the intention is to have him play one half.”
The open training session pulled in a big crowd, with many supporters packing the stands and showing just how much love they have for Juventus. After the session, the players hung around to take photos and sign autographs, and Yıldız definitely got a lot of attention from the fans.
Kenan Yıldız appears to have accidentally revealed Juventus’ third kit. He deleted the Instagram post almost immediately, and shortly after, Juventus shared a small reel featuring their mascot Jay on the club’s official account doing something on Kenan's phone. The whole thing feels a bit like Tom Holland’s accidental Spider-Man spoiler post; so, it is hard to tell whether this was a genuine mistake or a planned part of the campaign but here you go... Juventus' third kit.
Here is the brief summary from Spalletti’s post-match interviews:
Spaletti said that this match was an important indicator of Juventus’ progress, highlighting how the team stayed united and compact throughout the game both when defending deep and when attacking with quality. Given Chelsea’s top‑level quality, he stressed that the key achievement was not collapsing under pressure and maintaining competitiveness throughout the match. He emphasized that these matches mean little because it’s “August football,” and noted that his substitutions were routine preseason decisions aimed at giving deserving youngsters some playing time while carefully managing minutes.
He said that Zhegrova’s goal is important and pleasing, but what matters far more is his overall performance across the full match. A single goal or assist isn’t enough if the player doesn’t support the team for all 90+ minutes. He noted that Zhegrova sometimes lost balls that could have led to better actions, but he also showed his quality: beating defenders on the dribble and striking well on goal.
When he was asked how he envisions Yıldız’s progression this season , especially given the anticipation surrounding his return after weeks of individual training and the lingering knee issue from last summer , he responded: "As you know, Kenan is extremely important for us, so we’re managing his minutes carefully to create a proper work plan, a correct path for him. But the fact that he no longer feels pain, that he’s smiling and free to play his football, is what makes us happiest."
During the press conference ahead of tomorrow’s friendly against Chelsea, Spaletti was asked about Yıldız’s condition and whether he might play, considering he trained a little today but didn’t take part in the small‑sided match.
Spalletti said: “We’re very happy with Kenan, and we’ll evaluate him tomorrow during the match. But we’re trying to have him available, maybe even for a few minutes. We’ll also evaluate him after today’s training session. However, his recovery is exactly how we expected it to be. So, we’re satisfied. The medical staff has certainly done a good job.”
Juventus arrived in Hong Kong on August 3, 2026 to kick off their summer tour. Kenan Yıldız was included in the squad despite doubts about his availability due to the knee issue he has been dealing with since last summer; his French teammate Khéphren Thuram was left out because of injury. New signings Zeki Çelik, Randal Kolo Muani and Kerim Alajbegović also joined the tour.
Juventus will face Chelsea at Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday, August 5 at 7:30 AM US EDT / 1.30 PM Italian / 7:30 Hong Kong time. The match will be streamed by Fox One in the US.
Yıldız watched the Juventus-Nice friendly match at the Continassa from the sidelines. He couldn’t hide his excitement when Justin Oboavwoduo sealed the match with the second goal in the 89th minute.
According to several Italian media reports, Kenan Yıldız partially resumed training today. It is a positive sign that he might be able to join the squad for their upcoming international friendlies overseas. Juventus is scheduled to fly out on Sunday ahead of the match against Chelsea in Hong Kong on August 5, 2026. It’s still unclear whether Yıldız will make the trip. And even if he does, there’s no guarantee he’ll play significant minutes. The staff doesn’t want to push him too hard or risk a setback. The priority remains getting him fully fit in time for the start of the Serie A season for the Frosinone away match on August 23, 2026.
Yıldız returned to Continassa today after his World Cup rest period. He was welcomed in the Juventus Training Center by his teammates, and he also greeted Zeki Çelik, Juventus’ newest signing from Roma and his teammate on the Turkish National Team, posting an Instagram story saying “Welcome abi (big brother).” Çelik mentioned in his first Juventus interview that Kenan had already sent him a voice message welcoming him and saying they’d do good things together at the club.
According to the reports coming from Continassa, the staff will check the status of his knee inflammation and take things slow. Over the next few days, he’ll start personalized sessions to get back into shape. It’s still uncertain whether he’ll be available for the upcoming friendly matches against Standard Liège on July 24 in Liège, Belgium, and OGC Nice on July 31 in Turin, Italy.
Spalletti addressed Yıldız’s expected return to the squad on Monday during the press conference ahead of tomorrow’s friendly against FC Basel at St. Jakob-Park in Switzerland. He said the following:
“We have a top-level staff in every respect. We’re waiting for him with open arms because he means a lot to us. Based on the conversations we’ve had and the thoughts we share, Yıldız will return almost ready to rejoin the group immediately. He needed some rest, and it seems that rest has helped, based on what we’ve discussed. He’ll be evaluated carefully, and if needed, he’ll have a personalized program suited to his needs. We’ll likely follow a path that includes some differentiated work alongside the team, because it’s right to go deep into the issues and give him the best we can.”
Yıldız will not be part of the squad for tomorrow’s game. He is expected to be at Continassa on Monday, July 20.
According to Tuttosport, Kenan Yıldız may end up needing surgery to finally address the knee issue that’s been bothering him for quite a while. The patellar tendinopathy is still a problem, and it affected his performances both in Serie A and at the World Cup. After Turkey’s early exit from the tournament, he continued the recovery treatments already planned for him and was able to rest before returning to Turin. He is expected to be back around July 20. Once he’s back in the Continassa, the Juventus medical staff will evaluate how much pain he still has, how much he’ll need to push through during the first phase of training, and whether his workload needs to be adjusted. Even though he managed to play 84 minutes at the World Cup, getting through a full season, potentially pushing past 50 matches, is another challenge entirely. That’s why surgery remains on the table as a possible long‑term solution. If the club decides to manage the risk instead, his start to the season might simply be slower: no forcing, but steadily building up strength in his legs. In about two weeks, the situation should be clearer.
The Turkish national team completed its final training session ahead of the Paraguay match, and all players will be available with no injuries reported. The Turkey–Paraguay match will be played today at 20:00 Pacific Time (23:00 Eastern Time; 06:00 Turkish time on 20 June) at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
This is one of the decisive games for the Turkish national team, especially after the defeat against Australia, which was followed by heavy criticism from fans and media. Many Turkish supporters are eager to see how the team reacts on the field.
How do you feel about this game and the team’s chance to respond?
Yıldız was seen wearing a bandage on his left leg while on while leaving the hotel in Mesa, AZ. Despite the visible bandage, there have been no reports regarding any injury.