Juventus. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Juventus takes on AS Roma in an important Serie A match on Saturday evening at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, with both teams aiming for a key win.
This is Matchday 16 of the 2025-26 season, with Juventus looking to cut the four-point difference to fourth-placed Roma.
The Bianconeri are keen to extend their unbeaten home record in Serie A this season, while AS Roma has excelled in away matches.
Juventus is facing several injury problems ahead of this match. Key striker Dusan Vlahovic is out after surgery on his left adductor and will miss games until at least March. This leaves Spalletti to choose between Jonathan David and Lois Openda, both of whom scored in recent Champions League games.
Defensively, Federico Gatti is out due to a knee injury, and Daniele Rugani is just returning from a calf strain. Gleison Bremer has recovered from a knee issue but is still being gently eased back into play, so Juventus may rely on Lloyd Kelly or Pierre Kalulu in defense.
Midfielder Teun Koopmeiners is suspended for one match after receiving his fifth yellow card. This is a setback for Juventus, as his creative play will be missed against the strong Roma defense. Spalletti is set to adopt a hybrid formation with Weston McKennie expected to play a significant role in midfield.
Keenan Yildiz remains available and was named Juventus’ November MVP. Francisco Conceicao is also fit to contribute to the attack alongside Yildiz.
Artem Dovbyk might return after missing four to six weeks due to a muscle injury, providing a boost to the attacking lineup. However, it’s unclear whether he’ll be fully fit for this match or later fixtures.
Neil El Aynaoui and defender Evan Ndicka are absent as they are participating in the Africa Cup of Nations. Edoardo Bove continues to be sidelined due to a heart condition.
Wesley is back after recovering from a training injury and played a significant role in Roma’s recent victory over Como, scoring the winning goal.
Juventus won 1-0 against Bologna in their last Serie A match, demonstrating tactical discipline. Prior to that, they secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Pafos in the Champions League. They earned five victories out of their last six matches, losing only to Napoli.
AS Roma achieved a narrow 1-0 victory against Como in their last match, with Wesley scoring the goal. This followed defeats to Cagliari and Napoli but showcased Roma’s ability to grind out results. They hold the best defensive record in the league with only eight goals conceded in 15 matches and recorded the most clean sheets in 2025 across all competitions.
Juventus: Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly; McKennie, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; David
AS Roma: Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Hermoso; Wesley, Kone, Cristante, Rensch; Soule, Pellegrini; Ferguson
The match will be available to watch in the UK on DAZN’s free-to-air service.
See Also – Talking points ahead of the Premier League weekend
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