from football italia
Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero is 98 per cent recovered from a hamstring problem, according to Tuttosport.
The 34-year-old talisman has only made one appearance for the Bianconeri so far this season, coming on for just six minutes against Bologna on September 27.
Never in his 17 years in Turin has Del Piero suffered such a long stop at the start of a season.
He missed the beginning of the campaign after falling foul of a back injury on August 11 in Villar Perosa.
That ailment apparently provoked other problems, which culminated in Del Piero tweaking his hamstring last month.
The club's medical staff predicted a 30-40 day stop, which Del Piero has now completed with no further setbacks.
Del Piero is not expected to return in time for tomorrow's game against Sampdoria, nor this weekend's fixture with Napoli.
However, he should be part of the squad that travels to Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday.
The news is a blessing for Juventus, as Vincenzo Iaquinta now needs an operation on the meniscus in one of his knees.