After taking a slim advantage over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League play-off round, Juventus have already turned their attention to their big Serie A showdown against Inter.
This contest arguably comes at the worst possible timing for Thiago Motta, as it’s sandwiched between the two PSV encounters. So despite the great significance of the Derby d’Italia, the manager could decide to make some tweaks to his starting lineup, albeit a full rotation remains out of the question.
According to IlBianconero, the centre-back partnership of Federico Gatti and Renato Veiga will be confirmed once more. The two defenders have built a swiftly flourishing understanding born out of necessity. The only alternative is Lloyd Kelly, and he’s unlikely to get the nod, not even on the left flank where Nicolo Savona is expected to start.
The young Italian was suffering from a groin issue which is why Motta decided to drop him in the Champions League contest. Moreover, the source leaves a chance for Andrea Cambiaso to make a timely recovery from his ankle injury and earn an immediate starting berth. That being said, it remains a less likely scenario.
Timothy Weah should be once again confirmed at right-back as he continues to produce satisfying displays in this less conventional role.
In the middle of the park, Khephren Thuram is tipped to start after being omitted from the starting lineup in recent fixtures. However, the other two midfield slots remain up for grabs. Manuel Locatelli is the slight favourite ahead of Douglas Luiz for the Regista role, while Weston McKennie will be hoping for another attacking-midfield experiment at Teun Koopmeiners’ expense.
Finally, Samuel Mbangula and Nico Gonzalez are the most likely options on the wings, thus keeping Francisco Conceicao and Kenan Yildiz on the outs, while Randal Kolo Muani is one of the few certainties at this point, thus keeping Dusan Vlahovic on the bench.
Juventus possible XI (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Weah, Gatti, Veiga, Savona; Locatelli, Thuram; Gonzalez, McKennie, Mbangula; Kolo Muani.
