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Juve's Nedved back for Inter Milan grudge match

By Staff

MILAN, Nov 1 (Reuters) Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved returns from suspension for Sunday's big Serie A clash (1930 GMT) with Inter Milan, the first time the bitter rivals have met since Juve's demotion for match-fixing two seasons ago.

The Turin club achieved immediate promotion back to the top flight but the wounds have still not healed, with the fans' anger aimed primarily at unbeaten league leaders Inter.

Roberto Mancini's side were crowned champions in 2005/06 despite finishing third after Juve were stripped of their title and second-placed AC Milan deducted points in the scandal.

Inter ran away with last season's scudetto with Juve consigned to Serie B and Milan suffering another points penalty.

To make matters worse, Inter triumphed last term partly because of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Patrick Vieira, both of whom signed from Juve following their demotion.

''It is an important match because they are a great team, we must not think about other reasons. I can't wait to play,'' Juve striker David Trezeguet told reporters.

Vieira is injured for Sunday's match in Turin, which will spare him the nasty reception which Sweden striker Ibrahimovic will have to bear on his own.

Ibrahimovic has not ducked the challenge though and was even left out of Wednesday's 4-1 win over Genoa to avoid a booking which would have ruled him out of the Juve game.

Third-placed Juventus, four points behind Inter, put Saturday's controversial 3-1 defeat at Napoli behind them with Trezeguet's hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Empoli on Wednesday when they were without a host of players.

Experienced winger Nedved, courted by Inter in the close season as he dithered over a new contract, returns from a ban alongside defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Nicola Legrottaglie.

Inter may have to rely on third-choice keeper Paolo Orlandoni again with Julio Cesar struggling with a back problem and Francesco Toldo out with a broken metatarsal.

AC Milan, who got their troubled season back on track with a 5-0 thumping of Sampdoria yesterday, host midtable Torino on Saturday (1930) while unbeaten Fiorentina, in fourth, visit struggling Lazio in the day's early game (1700).

Second-placed AS Roma hope striker Francesco Totti can be fit for Sunday's trip to Empoli (1400) after their captain missed Sunday's 1-0 win at Milan and Wednesday's 3-2 derby victory over Lazio with an ankle injury.

Reuters BJR VP0740

Story first published: Thursday, August 24, 2017, 16:05 [IST]
Other articles published on Aug 24, 2017