Juventus return from the international break with little room to ease back into the season. Luciano Spalletti’s side are three points off the Serie A summit, have opened their Europa League campaign with a 5-0 victory over NEC, and now face a sequence that will demand both results and careful management of an already stretched squad.
The first appointment is away to Cagliari on 11 October, the beginning of a run in which Juventus will play roughly every three days and spend much of their time away from the Allianz Stadium. By the time Napoli arrive on 1 November, the Bianconeri will have played seven matches across league and Europe, with Cagliari, Lazio, Lecce, Genoa and Napoli forming a demanding domestic programme. Europa League trips and fixtures add Celta Vigo away and Rennes in Turin to the schedule.
Spalletti prepares different solutions
The coach is planning to use the whole group rather than rely on a fixed selection through an intense October. Four players have undergone surgery: goalkeeper Grabara, plus Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli. The latter three visited Alessandro Del Piero at JMedical on Tuesday. Juan Cabal, Jeff Ekhator and Jeremie Boga also remain unavailable, increasing the need to avoid further losses.
Spalletti has restored a measure of solidity after the setback at Sassuolo in Reggio Emilia with a 3-4-2-1, but he is also considering a more traditional 4-2-3-1. The switch is intended to be practical rather than doctrinaire, allowing Juventus to adapt personnel to the opponent and the rhythm of each competition.
Vicario, Kalulu, Celik, McKennie, Douglas Luiz and Nico Gonzalez are viewed as close to automatic choices, while rotation is expected elsewhere. Andrea Cambiaso’s return offers an important additional option after he managed only 31 minutes before the break. In Europe, Spalletti is likely to make room for Gatti, Kelly and Koopmeiners, while Woltemade is emerging as a possible focal point for the cup matches.
It will not be a rigid rotation plan. Juventus want to protect their key men without losing momentum in either competition, particularly with the league lead still within reach. The balance between those two aims will shape the coming month more than any single formation.
Before the internationals return, Spalletti will use Wednesday’s friendly at Continassa against Cremonese to assess the players who stayed in Turin. Bremer, McKennie and Kolo Muani are among those expected to feature, as is Neto, the new deputy to Vicario. Cremonese include Adin Licina, the 19-year-old Juventus talent on loan, who has recorded two goals and one assist across Serie B and the Coppa Italia.
October has often been a productive part of the calendar for Spalletti. In Serie A, his teams have collected 35 wins during the month and averaged 1.92 points per match; only May, at 1.94, has produced a marginally higher return. Juventus will need something close to that pace if they are to turn a promising position into a sustained challenge at home while keeping their European route open.
