After a disappointing Champions League game against Aston Villa this past Wednesday night where Juventus, hampered by injuries, were held to a goalless draw, they venture to Apulia to face Lecce in southern Italy.
As the club’s injury problems continue to represent the dominant storyline, head coach Thiago Motta discussed his team’s attitude during these trying times.
Considering the club’s recent string of draws, of which they have more than wins in all competitions, Juventus look to gain some momentum against Lecce this weekend.
Although the Salentini sit precariously within the lower half of the league table, Motta asserted that they are a tough challenge and that new Lecce coach Marco Giampaolo, who was hired earlier this month, has galvanized the squad.
“We want to put in a good performance in every sense of the word, as well as getting the result we need,” Motta said. “Lecce come into the match off the back of a victory, their new coach brings enthusiasm and has created a positive environment. They put in a good performance against Venezia, they have interesting players, with a coach who has a strong focus on organization.”
What is more, Motta asserted that Juventus must remain steadfast and wary of Lecce’s “tricky” tactics.
“They are playing at home, and they will want to cause us problems by pressing us,” Motta said. “We’ll have to be good at beating the press, we’ll face a tricky opponent, we have to focus on us and give our best, knowing what we need to do to secure the three points.”
Motta also spoke about what feels like an ever-growing injury list. Although cumbersome and disheartening, Motta is seemingly trying to make the best out of a bad situation by using the list as an opportunity to test rising Next Gen and primavera talents.
According to Motta, “The unavailable players are (Gleison) Bremer, Nico Gonzalez, (Arkadiusz) Milik, Douglas Luiz, (Vasilije) Adzic, (Juan] Cabal, (Dusan] Vlahovic, [(Nicolo) Savona and (Weston) McKennie.”
Whereas, “The youngsters called up to the senior team are (Christos) Papadopoulos, (Filippo) Pagnucco, (Augusto) Owusu, (Alfonso) Montero and (Diego) Pugno. I have total confidence in my players and in those who will play in tomorrow’s game. Each one of us has to give our best to help the team: it is clear that in this situation we all have to give more. When there are more players available, they will help the team. All teams are suffering injuries, but I am completely focused on who is available at the moment, as we await the recovery of those who are not.”
Finally, Motta was asked about Italian international Nicolo Fagioli, who has recently been struggling for game time and, for the sake of creating space for injury replacements, has been linked to a move abroad.
Regarding his game time, Motta said, “Like everyone else, Nicolo Fagioli has to keep working hard to make a difference, even as a substitute. We’ll see if he’ll start tomorrow to help the team.”
However, he refused to comment on the player’s transfer situation, asserting that “There’s excellent chemistry with the club, but right now, I only focus on Lecce; it’s not the time to talk about transfers.”