The Argentine travelled back to Buenos Aires in March amid concerns over his mother’s health and is now expected back in Turin
Gonzalo Higuain will this week return to Italy and undergo quarantine ahead of linking up with his Juventus team-mates in training.
The Argentine was granted permission to leave the country during lockdown in March after proving that he did not show any sign of coronavirus.
According to Higuain, his mother’s delicate state of health prompted him to travel amid the pandemic, and he denied initial reports that he had flouted restrictions in order to return to Buenos Aires.
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Now, after almost two months back in Argentina, the striker becomes the last Juventus player to report back to the club as the Old Lady and the rest of Serie A resume activities following the suspension of the Italian top-flight.
Higuain is expected to land in Turin on Friday and will then undergo two weeks of mandatory isolation. Once that period is fulfilled, he will be free to join up with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and the rest of the Juve squad, who have already begun individual training sessions ahead of the proposed June 13 return date for competitive action.
The 32-year-old striker’s future is the subject of heavy speculation, with Higuain playing only an intermittent role so far during Maurizio Sarri’s debut season on the bench in Turin.
He had been restricted to just 16 Serie A starts prior to the season’s interruption, netting five goals as Juve look to once more retain the Scudetto.
One of the clubs that have been linked with his services is River Plate, who gave Pipita his first-team debut as a 17-year-old and for whom he lined up until his move to Real Madrid in December 2006.
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Father Jorge, however, believes that the Millonario are not the right destination at the present time.
“This is not the time, Gonzalo has a year and a half left on his contract, he will respect it,” he explained to TNT Sports.
River director of football Enzo Francescoli echoed Jorge’s words, telling reporters: “[Higuain] will decide. Right now, he wants to see out his contract with Juventus and we will see further down the line. There are only rumours, there is nothing official.”
