Antonio Conte has vowed to bounce back from Sunday’s home defeat to Sampdoria by guiding his team to victory in tomorrow night’s Coppa Italia clash with Milan.
The manager opened his pre-match press conference with a reflection on Juventus’ unexpected weekend reverse at the hands of the Blucerchiati.
The 43-year-old began: “It’s inevitable that the Sampdoria defeat hurts a great deal. We were eleven men against their ten, and a great team should never allow that to happen, especially when we have the lead and the situation appears to be entirely in our hands.
“It’s right that a defeat leaves you feeling disappointed, bitter and angry. It was a strange game from every point of view: the goals we conceded, the opportunities we missed… But they’re fixtures we must win.
“We’ll be back in action against Milan tomorrow and have plenty of desire to produce a strong display. I’m expecting to see an encouraging response as we want to get through to the semi-finals.”
Conte revealed his intention to use the Coppa Italia competition as an opportunity to cast his eye over those who have figured less prominently throughout the current campaign.
“I will change things around for tomorrow’s game. I believe it’s right to observe everyone’s progress, especially those who have played less this season. Last year we reached the final using this method.
“The likes of Marrone, Giaccherini and Padoin are players who always give their all and it upsets me that I’m not able to use them more often. I think it’s only right to give these players a chance after what they display throughout the week.
“Marrone will take Pirlo’s role in the heart of midfield. After seeing his development when he deputised for Bonucci, I also want to see how he’s progressing as Pirlo’s understudy. He’s a versatile youngster with great prospects and represents the present and future of Juventus.”
With question marks currently hanging over the fitness levels of Bianconeri duo Mirko Vucinic and Claudio Marchisio, Conte took the opportunity to provide an update on their respective conditions.
“Vucinic is recovering and we’re also keeping an eye on the number of minutes he’s playing. We’re aiming to get him back to playing an entire game. He figured for 30 minutes on Sunday, trained yesterday and is improving. I honestly don’t know if I’ll risk him for the whole encounter or perhaps increase his game time.
“Thankfully Marchisio only sustained heavy bruising which he’ll be able to shake off over the course of the next few days, so we hope to have him back as soon as possible. Claudio is an important player who has grown a great deal over the past year and a half. I’m happy it’s nothing serious.”
Returning to on-field matters, Conte talked up the importance of Wednesday night’s encounter as two historic Italian giants prepare to lock horns in an appetising showdown at Juventus Stadium.
“There’s always a particular flavour to clashes with Milan. Two great sides are facing each other, the same as when you play Inter, Napoli, Roma and Lazio. They’re teams who are part of the big names in Italian football, so they’re always important games from every point of view.
“Allegri has done a very good job with the Rossoneri. He’s won the Scudetto, Super Cup, finished second last season and once again guided them through to the knockout stages of the Champions League. I think he’s doing excellent things. We’re rivals on the field of play but there’s always great respect between us.”
Source: Juventus.com
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