You cannot have everything, however much you may want it. That is the basic idea to keep in mind when resources are scarce and have to be managed. Juventus do have one extra factor on their side: the experience gained from one of the loudest and most painful collapses of the season.
After the trip to the Netherlands, the Bianconeri returned in that time slot that is hard to define, somewhere between very late night and the early hours of the morning. The situation is very similar to the one after Vigo, when the weight of the Europa League was felt through effort on the pitch, complicated logistics and a tight turnaround before the next match, the debacle against Lazio. This time Juventus must recover and in the meantime prepare for Sunday evening’s trip to Florence.
The Fiorentina match is the last stage of the tour de force before an international break in which several Juventus players will stay at home to rest. As things stand, Brazil have not called up Douglas Luiz or Bremer, and Klopp has excluded Woltemade.
Energy Over Quality
There is no point thinking too far ahead, Tuttosport says, because the coming hours will need painstaking work from every part of the staff. The goal is to field at the Franchi not the best available eleven but the one with the most remaining energy.
Spalletti hardly has an embarrassment of choice, but he can still make changes from the AZ match. McKennie, the article’s subheading says, was spared the Dutch trip and is now preparing his return to action. Zhegrova is also in the picture.
The Defence
In goal Vicario will continue. In the back line in front of him, Bremer should return after getting a rest in the Netherlands. Lucumí and Gatti, the latter praised for a strong performance in Alkmaar, are called to do extra work beside him, with Kelly further back in the hierarchy.
Rugani would be an option, having been left off the UEFA list, but the central defender has not played at all this season, and that is unlikely to change against Fiorentina.
The Flanks: Cabal and Kalulu
On the wings, Spalletti has rediscovered Cabal, who was a positive presence against Napoli until cramps ended his match. Given his long period of inactivity, he cannot manage three starts in a row. Since he was on the bench at the AFAS Stadion, he is again a candidate to start from the first minute at the Franchi.
Çelik is unlikely to recover. The Turkish right-sided player has begun working on the pitch but has not yet rejoined the group, and the most concrete horizon for his return is after the international break. On the right, Tuttosport expects Pierre Kalulu, nicknamed after the workhorse Stakhanov, who already leads the squad in minutes played, ahead even of Vicario.
