Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti said his team cannot afford a slow start in Tuesday's Hong Kong Football Festival clash against Chelsea at Kai Tak Stadium, as the Italian giants prepare to face a Blues side that may be without Cole Palmer.
At a pre-match press conference alongside captain Manuel Locatelli, Spalletti praised Chelsea's new manager Xabi Alonso, calling him a "very excellent and capable coach" who understood the game deeply as a player. He said the friendly would be a true test of his team's readiness: "We cannot afford a slow start. We must start strong and show we can compete with Chelsea."
Locatelli said the team's failure to qualify for the Champions League and Italy's World Cup absence would fuel their determination, with the Europa League a key target. He welcomed new signings including Randal Kolo Muani and Douglas Luiz, saying "they are good youngsters who raise the level of the team."
Spalletti also hinted that Turkish teenager Kenan Yildiz, recovering from injury, could feature for a few minutes.
Chelsea held an open training session earlier on Monday, with Pedro Neto, Danny Welbeck, Joao Pedro, Mykhailo Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap all taking part. However, Cole Palmer only did light individual work on the sidelines and is a doubt for Tuesday's match.
Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo gave the Kai Tak Stadium a perfect 10 out of 10 rating, saying the air conditioning helped with preparation and praising the Hong Kong fans for their support.