Since the turn of the year, Angel Di Maria has been the main protagonist in several important victories for Juventus, especially on the European stage.
The Argentine’s latest exploits came last week when he nodded home the solitary goal in the first leg against Freiburg in the Europa League round of 16
However, the 35-year-old sustained a slight knock during the match which kept him out of last weekend’s fixture against Sampdoria.
Although he returned to the matchday squad for the second leg in Freiburg, he remained on the bench for the duration of the match.
After the encounter, Max Allegri suggested that he kept Di Maria in the dugout since his team’s qualification wasn’t exactly in jeopardy, especially while having a numerical advantage.
Therefore, the manager opted to reserve his talisman’s energy for the crucial Derby d’Italia showdown on Sunday, confirming the player’s availability.
“We were eleven against ten and ahead in the score, so I preferred not to risk Di Maria,” said Allegri in his post-match press conference as reported by ilBianconero.
“But he is available. Now we have three days to spare, so he’ll certainly be available against Inter”.
The clash against Inter will be the final fixture before heading to the first international break of the season.
