Injuries have severely hampered Juventus in the first half of the season. They will be down several key men for the final game of the Champions League group stage versus PSG. Coach Massimiliano Allegri admitted that some mistakes have been made.
“In these two months and a half, we could have done better in some situations. There was also some randomness, though.”
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the boss is referring in particular to Paul Pogba. He wishes the midfielder had surgery right after suffering a meniscus tear in the summer. But also to the first two absences of Angel Di Maria. The winger was immediately fielded after returning to practice and was quickly back on the mend.
Some within Juventus believe the recurring injuries also come from inadequate physical preparation. Head athletic trainer Simone Folletti and the rest of the performance area face scrutiny. The management hired Giovanni Andreini to supervise all sides on such front, and they started giving him more responsibilities.
Allegri also updated Federico Chiesa, explaining why he hasn’t been called up yet.
“He’s not in ideal conditions. He played a friendly with the U-23 team last Thursday, and then he needed four days to recover before resuming practicing in limited faction. That means that he’s not ready.”
The winger will most likely return on the pitch only after the World Cup break, completing his ramp-up during the stoppage. Dusan Vlahovic, Angel Di Maria, Weston McKennie, Leandro Paredes, and Mattia De Sciglio will miss the PSG clash due to thigh injuries, and Samuel Iling-Junior because of an ankle sprain. Danilo is suspended.
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