Masks are for Zorro, says Juventus keeper Szczesny

Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny suffered a fractured nose in last weekend’s derby draw with Torino but is unlikely to be seen wearing a protective mask on his return to action, with the Pole preferring to leave them for Zorro.

Szczesny took a blow to the nose from the arm of Torino defender Adam Masina close to the end of Saturday’s 0-0 draw. The Poland keeper, nicknamed Tek, finished the game before having surgery to reduce the fracture of the nasal bones.

“You wanted to see Tek running with the mask on? Never! Never with the mask! The mask is for Zorro,” Szczesny, with his nose bandaged, said in a video posted by Juventus on social media platform X on Thursday.

Zorro, which means fox in Spanish, is a fictional masked vigilante who has appeared in magazines, books and films.

The 34-year-old Szczesny was expected to miss Juve’s next couple of games but manager Massimiliano Allegri told a press conference he was available for Friday’s match at Cagliari.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been wearing a mask since January 2022 after suffering several facial fractures. The Nigeria forward has long since recovered but continues to wear the mask for a sense of security.