Weston McKennie’s trip to Cagliari on Sunday is set to place him at the front of a distinctive Juventus list. Expected to start against the Sardinians, the American will make his 234th appearance for the club and move beyond Manuel Locatelli as the most-used player in the present squad.
A record that reflects McKennie’s standing
Locatelli remains on 233 Juventus appearances but is unavailable as he recovers from a serious knee injury. McKennie’s next outing would therefore give him sole possession of the internal record, another indication of how firmly he has become embedded in the club’s recent history.
The gap behind the pair is considerable. Daniele Rugani is the next most experienced member of the squad, while several other established figures remain well short of McKennie’s total.
- Weston McKennie: 233 appearances before Cagliari
- Manuel Locatelli: 233 appearances
- Daniele Rugani: 157 appearances
- Federico Gatti: 139 appearances
- Andrea Cambiaso: 134 appearances
- Kenan Yildiz: 132 appearances
- Gleison Bremer: 128 appearances
McKennie, who arrived in Turin in 2020, has also scored 27 goals in Juventus colours. That is the highest total among the current players, level with Yildiz, and speaks to a midfielder whose contribution has regularly extended into the penalty area.
A player trusted by successive coaches
Luciano Spalletti has made McKennie a regular selection, but the 27-year-old’s importance did not begin with the current coach. Massimiliano Allegri, Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor all found uses for a player whose role has changed according to the needs of the side.
Spalletti has described McKennie as a footballer familiar with every part of the pitch, capable of operating as a holding midfielder, central midfielder or attacking midfielder. Across his Juventus years, he has also played wide on either flank, both in deeper roles and as a wing-back.
- He has featured at the base of midfield.
- He has played as a more advanced central midfielder.
- He has been used behind the forwards.
- He has covered both wide sides.
- Thiago Motta even deployed him as an emergency false nine against Milan at San Siro.
That adaptability, coupled with his work rate and instinct for arriving in scoring positions, has made him a constant figure through different Juventus cycles. The club have responded by extending his contract until 2030.
Cagliari first, then the next landmarks
McKennie has yet to score this season, having missed almost a month after suffering a muscle problem on the opening day. Since his return against Nec, however, Juventus have improved, with his reappearance adding another dependable option to Spalletti’s plans.
A goal would bring back the Harry Potter-inspired celebration that has become part of McKennie’s Juventus identity. More immediately, though, Sunday offers the chance to turn a personal milestone into three valuable points.
Should he pass Locatelli, a series of notable Juventus appearance totals would come into view:
- Edgar Davids — 235 appearances
- Fabio Capello — 239 appearances
- Wojciech Szczesny — 252 appearances
- Omar Sivori — 253 appearances
- Stephan Lichtsteiner — 258 appearances
For McKennie, the Cagliari match is not simply a statistical occasion. It is another measure of a career in Turin built less on one fixed position than on repeated usefulness, under changing coaches and across a long succession of Sunday afternoons.
