Barzagli in fitness race for Champions League final

The Italy international suffered a first-grade muscle tear in Saturday's 2-1 win over Napoli, meaning he could miss the June 6 showdown with Barcelona.Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli faces a race against time to be fit for the Champions League final against Barcelona due to a thigh injury.The Italy international was forced off at half-time in Saturday's Serie A win over Napoli in Turin after complaining of discomfort in his right leg.
The 34-year-old centre-half underwent an MRI scan on Monday and Juve promptly released a statement revealing that he has "a first-grade tear of the rectus femoris muscle in his right thigh.The club added: Barzagli will now begin treatment and both his condition and availability for June’s Champions League final are to be monitored on a day-to-day basis.The news will be a major concern for Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri, who had been hoping to have one of his most reliable defenders available for next month's meeting with free-scoring Barcelona in Berlin.Indeed, Barzagli had been a virtual ever-present in the Bianconeri line-up following his arrival from Wolfsburg in 2011, playing a key role in three successive Serie A title triumphs.However, he has seen little action during the club's latest Scudetto success, only making his first start of the 2014-15 league campaign in March, against Sassuolo, due to a troublesome ankle problem.