Coach Massimiliano Allegri addressed the media ahead of the team's next encounter against Sassuolo, scheduled for Sunday 15 April at 18:00 .
These are his words, directly from the Allianz Stadium press conference room:
SASSUOLO
"Sassuolo is a technically strong team and is currently enjoying a good run of form. They lost in Verona, but played well. These will be fifteen very important days for us, to determine our future. Tomorrow we will have to win because yesterday [Friday] Lazio, with victory Spezia, overtook us in the standings linked to results on the pitch. As I've always said, we have to take it one step at a time. This is a beautiful and important moment of the season, but we will have to grit our teeth even more and be united."
TEAM SELECTION
"Kean will probably not be available because he suffered a problem with his flexor in Friday's training session. De Sciglio is also a doubt, but we will be able to count on several Next Gen players who will travel with us. Paredes is ready to play, Pogba not yet. Paul is training with the group, but he's not yet in his best shape. I do believe that between now and the end of the season, his contribution will be fundamental. Szczęsny, if he is ready and calm, will be able to travel with us and will be on the bench, so he can have a rest. Perin is in excellent condition and has become a goalkeeper of the highest level. Since he's been at Juventus, he's been one of the best in his role, in terms of reliability and presence in matches. Bremer may rest, with either Rugani and Bonucci entering the fray as both are working well. Vlahović played an hour in Rome against Lazio and half an hour against Sporting CP. Tomorrow he could start from the first whistle."
FORM AND FUTURE
"Overall the players available are doing well, and are going through a good moment of form. We are training well and, therefore, we are satisfied with our daily work. As I have always said, these weeks will be crucial for building towards our May calendar which we hope will be as busy as April's."
AN IMPORTANT WEEK
"Clearly we are attentively awaiting the verdict of 19 April, but we have to think only of matters on the pitch which tell us that to return to second place we have to win against Sassuolo. We are focused on individual matches and rightly so. We will have to be good at not letting ourselves be affected by external factors."