On Sunday, Max Allegri’s starting formation against Inter raised some eyebrows due to the inclusion of Hans Nicolussi Caviglia.
The 23-year-old is a Juventus youth product who has been at the club since the age of seven. This summer, he returned to Turin following a loan spell at Salernitana and has been patiently waiting for a chance that ironically arrived at the grandest of stages.
The midfielder made his full debut in the Derby d’Italia which ended in a 1-1 draw. He started in Manuel Locatelli’s stead as a Regista before making way for his compatriot who overcame his injury to feature in the second half.
So does the young man’s debut suggest that Juventus are now well-covered in the middle of the park?
Strangely, two La Gazzetta dello Sport journalists drew opposite conclusions.
According to Giovanni Albanese, the rise of Nicolussi Caviglia means Juventus are no longer desperate for a new midfielder in January to cover for the suspended Nicolo Fagioli and Paul Pogba.
Albanese feels that the 23-year-old provides sufficient cover in midfield, allowing the management to focus its efforts on landing an attacking winger.
On the contrary, Stefano Agresti argues that giving Caviglia his full debut against Inter was a desperate move that highlights the club’s dire need to sign a new midfielder come January.
Agresti felt the Juventus youth product was timid but diligent in the way he carried his task.
Nevertheless, his introduction highlighted the gulf between Juventus and Inter in terms of depth, as Simone Inzaghi was able to introduce Italy and Brazil international players (Davide Frattesi and Carlos Augusto) as second-half substitutes.
