Spalletti’s big headache before Juventus-Benfica Champions League | OneFootball

Luciano Spalletti faces a demanding scenario in preparing for the match between Juventus and Benfica, part of the Champions League. The Italian coach is considering squad management due to the high competitive load in the coming weeks, and one of the cases is the star of the team, Kenan Yildiz.

The Turkish winger, top scorer for the “Bianconeri” with eight goals and seven assists, might be rested in the Juventus - Benfica match. The succession of games against Napoli, Monaco, Parma, Atalanta, and Lazio, all by February 8, weighs on the management of the 20-year-old, who may not be among Spalletti's main choices for tomorrow.

There is also a doubt surrounding Francisco Conceição. The Portuguese international recently recovered from a muscle injury and gained minutes in the last match against Cagliari. Nevertheless, the player's physical condition remains under observation by Juventus' technical team, which aims to avoid relapses before the European challenge against Benfica, in a context of high demand and intense competitive rhythm.

As for the remaining options, Michele Di Gregorio is expected to return to Juventus' goal. In midfield, Manuel Locatelli and Khéphren Thuram appear as the main options to form the central axis. In the offensive sector, Jonathan David is expected to take on the role of reference forward.

The match against the “Old Lady” is scheduled for tomorrow, January 21. The kickoff will be at 20:00, at the Juventus Stadium, in Turin, which will not have any Benfica fans present. The match, part of the seventh round of the 2025/26 Champions League group stage, will be broadcast on SportTV 5.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.