NAPLES, ITALY – JANUARY 25: Randal Kolo Muani of Juventus during the Serie A match between Napoli and Juventus at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on January 25, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Juventus hope Randal Kolo Muani and debutant Renato Veiga can revitalise their lagging campaign, as anything less than victory against Empoli would be deeply damaging.
It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin at 11.30 GMT.
Thiago Motta is really feeling the pressure now after some dismal results, culminating in a 2-1 defeat at Napoli and midweek 2-0 home loss to Benfica in the Champions League.
Bologna have now caught them in the Serie A table and injuries are also piling up, because Pierre Kalulu is out for a month, with Andrea Cambiaso, Arkadiusz Milik, Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal all on the treatment table.
Kolo Muani scored on his debut against Napoli, but was cup-tied in Europe, so makes his return here and pushes Dusan Vlahovic back onto the bench.
Renato Veiga, who arrived on loan from Chelsea this week, is thrown straight into the starting XI, with Tim Weah again a makeshift left-back.
Teun Koopmeiners was dropped midweek and comes back here, flanked by Nico Gonzalez and Kenan Yildiz.
Empoli have just two points from the last seven Serie A games, which were 1-1 draws against Venezia and Bologna.
Alberto Grassi and Giuseppe Pezzella both sit out bans, with Nicolas Haas, Ola Solbakken, Tyronne Ebuehi, Saba Sazonov and Pietro Pellegri injured.
Defender Mattia Viti is also not at 100 per cent, but striker Lorenzo Colombo leads the way with support from Jacopo Fazzini.
It is a return to the Juventus Stadium for ex-Bianconeri player Mattia De Sciglio.
Curiously, these sides will cross paths again in the Coppa Italia quarter-final on February 26.
Juventus: Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Veiga, Weah; Locatelli, McKennie; Yildiz, Koopmeiners, Nico Gonzalez; Kolo Muani
Empoli: Vasquez; De Sciglio, Ismajli, Marianucci; Gyasi, Henderson, Anjorin, Cacace; Esposito, Fazzini; Colombo
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