Marchisio closing in on Juve return

Claudio Marchisio is closing in on a Juventus return after stepping up his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury.

The Italy international suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in Juve’s victory over Palermo towards the end of last season.

Marchisio has yet to make an appearance for Massimiliano Allegri’s side in the current campaign, with the Juve boss urging caution in the 30-year-old’s recovery.

His return to first-team action may not be far away, though, after the midfielder confirmed he had returned to training in recent days.

“I feel in very good shape,” he is quoted as saying by the Serie A leader’s Twitter account.

“I’ve been working hard all summer to recover in the best way possible and now this is the best part.

“I’ve re-joined my team-mates, resumed training with the ball and I can sense that the moment of my return is getting even nearer.”

@ClaMarchisio8 pic.twitter.com/fxPGoOFfXR

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) October 3, 2016

Marchisio has made well over 300 appearances in all competitions for Juventus since making his first-team debut in 2006-07, winning five Serie A titles with the Turin giants.