Massimiliano Allegri is a man with big problems at the moment. Juventus already started their campaign in a disastrous manner, squandering a comfortable lead against Udinese before falling to a home defeat at the hands of Empoli.
Moreover, the serious business is about to start now, with the Bianconeri travelling to meet Napoli for the big weekend clash this Saturday.
Even worse for Max, he founds himself with a decimated squad marred by injuries, late returns from international duties and uncertainties, as told by la Gazzetta dello Sport.
Juventus have players currently competing with their national teams in South America and won’t rejoin the squad until Friday evening. The players in question are Paulo Dybala, Danilo, Alex Sandro, Rodrigo Bentancur and Juan Cuadrado.
Against Napoli, Allegri might decide to revert towards a three-man backline, thrusting Giorgio Chiellini alongside Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt. This would prove to be the most realistic option in case the South American fullbacks wouldn’t be available to start.
Manuel Locatelli is expected to make his first start of the season from the Regista role, with Adrien Rabiot by his side. It remains to be seen if Bentancur would be available to complete the midfield trio.
As for Weston McKennie, the club might decide to drop him following his embarrassing international campaign, whilst Aaron Ramsey’s physical condition will be monitored following his recent injury.
If Allegri fails to find a third midfielder, then Federico Bernardeschi and Dejan Kulusevski could be deployed on the wings, while Federico Chiesa remains an uncertainty after suffering from a slight knock on international duty.
Finally, Moise Kean and Alvaro Morata are expected to start in attack, as Paulo Dybala is unlikely to be fully fit following his return from Argentina.
