Juventus host Milan at the Allianz Juventus Stadium on Sunday at 19:45 UK time (20:45 CEST), with both sides unbeaten after two Serie A rounds. Ahead of the game, Luciano Spalletti confirmed seven players remain unavailable and does not expect new signing Nick Woltemade to start.
“There are difficulties, we have seven players out injured and all their problems are different,” said Spalletti in his press conference, according to Sky Italia.
The list of absentees is significant, and Spalletti was explicit about which cases run deeper than a single matchday. Full details on how these absences are shaping Juventus’ Europa League squad omissions have already caused selection headaches at Continassa.
| Player | Status |
|---|---|
| Kenan Yildiz | Out for a while |
| Khephren Thuram | Out for a while |
| Juan Cabal | Out for a while |
| Andrea Cambiaso | Unavailable this weekend |
| Weston McKennie | Unavailable this weekend |
| Pape Matar Sarr | Unavailable this weekend |
| Jeff Ekhator | Unavailable this weekend |
Spalletti does not think Woltemade will start on his full debut but expects him to feature off the bench, potentially alongside Randal Kolo Muani in a two-man attack. The coach noted the German striker can drop deep or attack space, giving Juventus vertical and horizontal options after Jonathan David’s departure for Atletico Madrid once the transfer window closed.
He described Milan as a vertical, quick-transition side that presses aggressively, adding that Juventus must improve at shaking off marking and intend to take the initiative on Sunday.
Juventus beat Frosinone 1-0 and Parma 2-0 to open the campaign, while Milan also won their first two fixtures. Spalletti called it a fascinating Juventus-Milan match and, referencing Cristian Chivu’s comments about last season’s gap to Inter, said reducing that distance to the league’s best teams makes this head-to-head more important.
Asked to assess the summer market, Spalletti admitted Juventus “didn’t do everything we wanted” but insisted the squad has improved, naming Yildiz and McKennie among players difficult to replace given their characteristics. The result against Milan will offer an early gauge of where this squad stands in the top-four race.
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