22 December 2023
Ahead of the pre-Christmas match-up that awaits Juventus in Frosinone, Coach Massimiliano Allegri previewed, in his usual pre-match press conference, the away encounter that will see the Bianconeri take to the field on Saturday at 12.30 CET.
A TRICKY TRIP
"Frosinone will be a tricky away match for various reasons: it is the last match before Christmas and in the festive season week, there is always a different atmosphere on and off the pitch. The thing we have to do tomorrow is play a match with great attention and concentration. We face a side that has lost only one in eight home games - against Napoli, having even taken the lead on that occasion. Not only that: during the week they won 4-0 against Napoli and are experiencing a moment of great excitement, which is why the mental approach will be important first and foremost. We need to give a performance that I define as serious, the only way to then try to spend Christmas in the best possible way."
TEAM NEWS
"I haven't yet decided which players I will field in attack: there are three left - Dusan Vlahovic, Kenan Yildiz and Arek Milik. We left Federico Chiesa at home due to a problem with his patellar tendon, where he feels some discomfort. It made no sense to take Federico along in those conditions. The important thing is to know that we have everyone else available, also because tomorrow the result is too important - regardless of the players who take the field. As for Adrien Rabiot, he is available, he is well, he has recovered and is playing. Milik, on the other hand, was decisive when we've called him into action, both inside the area in some circumstances and when he entered at the end to manage important plays, allowing us to catch our breath. These are all situations that make me happy and he must stay calm because he knows he is a fundamental player for us.
"Timothy Weah is better, he is not yet ready to play 90 minutes, but he has trained well and his condition is improving. Vlahovic is just 23 years old, playing for Juventus is not easy: in the last few games he has technically put in some excellent performances, then he hasn't found the goal, but he's doing well. There is always a possibility to make up for it, he must be calm on a mental level: his growth path must lead him to reach maturity to demonstrate that he is a balanced player, an awareness that is reached at 27-28 years of age, as also demonstrated in Rabiot's case."
UPCOMING OPPONENTS
"The Juventus youngsters on loan at Frosinone are doing very well, I had no doubt that they could do it: our next opponents are a good club, with a serious president, a very good sporting director and a coach like Di Francesco who has a great desire for revenge. This path taken by our young people is very important, I am very happy with what they are doing. Taking stock of our season now makes no sense: the goal is to get to January 7, finish the first round and see how many points we have collected, and understand how much is missing to get to the top four. When putting together the lineup against Frosinone I won't think about players who are at risk of suspension - after tomorrow's match, we'll then do the math to understand who remains available for the match against Roma."
