Juventus manager Thiago Motta has urged Weston McKennie to get into the box even more after the American scored a stunning scissor-kick goal against Manchester City.
McKennie's strike — assisted by international teammate Tim Weah — was the final goal in a 2-0 win on Wednesday in the Champions League.
It was the American midfielder's third goal of the season, coming after a campaign in which he didn't score any but did provide a career-best 10 assists.
Motta was full of praise for McKennie's display against Pep Guardiola's side, but also demanded the 26-year-old continue to crash the box in order to score even more.
“I’ve already said I’m lucky to have players with different skill sets who give me multiple options before and during the game," Motta said at a press conference on Friday. "Weston had a great impact in the last game, like all other players. They helped the team when we needed it.
"He has physical and technical skill sets, which must — not can — must push him inside the box more often to score goals. He scored a great goal on Wednesday. Not just the goal itself. The build-up from the back was excellent, with great intensity and quality.”
McKennie came off the bench against Man City after missing two games with muscle fatigue, and Motta said that he could start the U.S. men's national team midfielder in Saturday's game against Venezia.
With Juventus missing several defenders due to injury, Motta added that McKennie and Weah were both options to fill in on the back line if needed.
Juventus enters Saturday's match in sixth place, seven points behind table-topping Atalanta. Venezia, which features another USMNT midfielder in Gianluca Busio, is in last place, three points from safety.