Allegri: “Three points in our thoughts”

As the Bianconeri gear up for a return to Serie A action tomorrow evening against Sassuolo, Massimiliano Allegri underlined just how crucial it was that his charges maintain their perfect start to the season with a third consecutive league victory.

Here are the boss’ key quotations from today’s press conference at the club’s Media Center in Vinovo:

Neroverdi no pushovers

“Sassuolo have always made life hard for us over the last few years. They’ve established themselves as a force in Italian football and this season they’ve the chance to consolidate their position in Europe, for which I wish them all the best. We can expect a tough game again tomorrow, but it’s important that we secure the three points.

“In some ways, the fact that (Domenico) Berardi is missing tomorrow puts them at a disadvantage, but they’ll be even more motivated now to show that they can overcome his absence.”

Squad selection for Sassuolo

“They’re working on Cuadrado’s paperwork and if everything is in order he’ll be available for selection. In the right-back slot, Lichtsteiner will start tomorrow. Even if Stephan was left out of the Champions League squad for footballing reasons, given that we have three men vying for that position, he’s still a very important player for Juventus.

“There’s a high chance of Higuain featuring tomorrow, while in defence, Dani Alves and Barzagli will be rested.”

Busy schedule begins

“With Sassuolo tomorrow, we begin a series of seven matches in quick succession: five in Serie A and two in the Champions League. Right now, however, we’re thinking about tomorrow’s match.

“Everyone has the chance to play in these seven fixtures coming up because we need to keep the intensity high throughout games and it’s impossible to do so with the same guys all the time when you’re playing every three days.”

Khedira and Claudio

“Khedira is fit and has made a good start to the campaign. He’s a top player and it’s not as if this has only just dawned upon us now. Even last season when he wasn’t fully fit, he made his presence felt in matches.

“Meanwhile, Marchisio’s recovery from injury is coming along well, but we won’t be rushing him back into action. It’s important that he reaches peak condition before we gradually ease him into full training sessions and, eventually, matches.

“We’ve lofty ambitions this year and we can only achieve them if everyone is firing on all cylinders.”