Serie A resumes tomorrow following the only international break before the end of the season. As the campaign enters the closing straight, Massimiliano Allegri spoke to the press ahead of the matchday 28 fixture with Hellas Verona, touching on the players' fitness, the opportunities April holds and need to maintain the positive run.
RISKY FIXTURE
“Tomorrow evening we have to pick it up again after the break, which is always complicated especially because we must continue our positive form.
“We have put ourselves in the position to be facing some important matches in April. When you win, you have to enjoy the success but we haven't achieved anything yet and we shouldn't sit back satisfied with the recent run of victories.
“Our only concern is to win games but at the same time, tomorrow is risky. Verona are an aggressive side - we struggled when we played at their stadium, they always make it difficult and we need to match them."
TEAM NEWS
"[Federico] Chiesa hasn't been called up - he's still a bit below par having trained just within his pain threshold. The aim is to have him back for Tuesday.
"[Ángel] Di María will be available but seeing as he arrived back yesterday, it’s unlikely he’ll start. [Dušan] Vlahović, [Arkadiusz] Milik and [Moise] Kean are all available, as is [Filip] Kostić - it’s important to have them all with us because substitutions will also be crucial considering the nine matches over the next month.
“At the moment I don't know when [Paul] Pogba will fully recover. He's working, the adductor is fine, but it's difficult to give a precise comeback date.
“We have to manage our energy well and make the best use of what all those available can offer.”
BRIGHT FUTURE
“Kean has improved a lot, both mentally and technically. I am very happy with him. I think his performances don’t receive the credit they deserve.”
“[Nicolò] Fagioli is fine, I'm happy he's been receiving a lot of attention but the important thing is that he keeps his feet on the ground because he has to stay focused.
"We have a lot of youngsters with the first team squad. They have played a lot. In fact, they have played over four thousand minutes already with Juventus. Important numbers especially considering the future of the team."
ONE MATCH AT A TIME
“We have to focus on one match at a time. Tomorrow our aim is to win against Verona, in front of a sold-out stadium. Only after Verona will we think about Inter.
“The affection of the fans is very important. I think this is a team that has won over the support because it reflects the Juve DNA, a team with character that puts everything they have on the pitch. Tomorrow we need the help of our fans again to try and win this match.”