Sarri expecting difficult Juventus test, but rejects Lazio criticism

Maurizio Sarri does not believe Juventus are in crisis ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, but will not take the blame for Lazio’s injury problems. ‘There are many factors that can have an influence.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday at 19.45 GMT.

While Juve are without a single victory in over a month between Serie A and the Champions League, this does not fool the coach.

“I expect a difficult game, as we are facing a team that three days ago played on level terms with Real Madrid and only suffered a narrow defeat,” said Sarri in his press conference.

“We must be aware that when there are moments of difficulty, we have to overcome them together.”

Sarri won the Scudetto in his lone season as Juventus coach, but when asked about his memories of the time there, he shrugged.

“I don’t have many, to be honest. I was only there a year and from March onwards we were playing behind closed doors due to the pandemic.”

The Biancocelesti are still dealing with a massive injury crisis, missing Taty Castellanos, Matteo Cancellieri, Nuno Tavares, Nicolò Rovella, Samuel Gigot and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

“I want to clarify that I read Nuno Tavares got hurt in training, but the truth is he never really got back to training after last weekend’s game. I don’t think it’s anything particularly serious, but nonetheless this is the situation we have to deal with.

“Luca Pellegrini had a small training session with us yesterday, but he has been out for three weeks. We could only put Provstgaard on the left in an emergency situation.”

The sheer number of injuries that Lazio have been suffering from this season raised questions about Sarri’s methods.

“There are many different aspects that can affect injuries. Nobody gets fitness work wrong in 2025, but there are so many other factors that can have an influence.”

Rovella has been struggling with a recurring groin issue, and it’s reported Lazio medics wanted him to have surgery, whereas he preferred a more conservative treatment.

“These are personal choices, nobody can force a player to have an operation,” confirmed the coach.

“He decided not to have surgery and I hope it can be resolved this way. He is a big loss for us, fortunately Danilo Cataldi has filled in well.”

It has added to the tension behind the scenes at Lazio, where Sarri had already said he would’ve walked away from any other club if not told about their transfer embargo.

“I have a good rapport with the director. However, this does not mean we don’t have different visions of certain things. It is perfectly normal. I read there was talk about my contract, but it’s a three-year deal, so there’s nothing to discuss.

“Our objective this season is to become competitive again so we can return to European football. Clearly, there are moments along the way where we are in no man’s land. Every game could be the turning point, but we have to believe in ourselves.”