Juventus coach Thiago Motta could maintain the same core for the Champions League encounter against Lille, but he could still make a few tweaks to the starting lineup that beat Udinese on Saturday, as Francisco Conceicao should get the nod from the get-go.
The Bianconeri suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of Stuttgart in their last European outing which ruined their perfect record in the group stage. Therefore, the Italians will be hellbent on securing a positive result on French soil this Tuesday.
According to IlBianconero, there will be limited changes in Motta’s selections, as the defensive pairing of Pierre Kalulu and Federico Gatti will maintain their roles at the heart of the backline amidst the absence of the injured Gleison Bremer and the suspended Danilo.
Andrea Cambiaso is now a certainty for the manager, but it remains to be seen if he’ll fielded as a right-back or a left-back. This will largely depend on whether Motta chooses to keep Nicolo Savona or revert to Juan Cabal. The young Italian should be the favorite to maintain his role following his exploits in Friuli, but the Colombian has also been reliable when called upon.
In the middle of the park, Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram both produced solid displays against the Zebrette, so they could be confirmed ahead of the Champions League contest, keeping Weston McKennie and Nicolo Fagioli on the bench.
Moreover, Motta admitted that Teun Koopmeiners is irreplaceable, so it’s safe to say the Dutchman will start in the hole behind Dusan Vlahovic who maintains his role due to the lack of alternatives.
Nevertheless, the report at least expects a change on the wings, with Conceicao making his return to the starting lineup after being rested over the weekend. The source believes the Portuguese will most likely replace Timothy Weah who started the last three fixtures, so Kenan Yildiz should preserve his starting berth.
Juventus Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic