Six Juventus players set to return to the starting lineup in Coppa Italia

Juventus boss Luciano Spalletti will rotate his starting lineup for the Coppa Italia encounter against Udinese.

The Old Lady will kickstart her cup campaign by hosting the Friulians at the Allianz Stadium in Turin for a Round of 16 tie.

The Coppa Italia often offers managers the opportunity to field those struggling for playing time in Serie A, and Spalletti is no exception.

According to Tuttosport, the Bianconeri’s starting lineup against the Zebrette will feature a host of changes.

Juventus lineup to feature at least six changes in Coppa Italia tie

The first is Federico Gatti, who fell ill in recent weeks, but should finally be able to reclaim his starting berth.

The Italian should claim his berth at the back, giving a breather for either Pierre Kalulu or Lloyd Kelly.

Juan Cabal will get the nod as well, although it remains to be seen if he’ll replace Teun Koopmeiners in the backline, or Andrea Cambiaso on the wing.

Federico Gatti (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Speaking of the wingback slots, the almost forgotten Joao Mario should finally get the opportunity to prove his worth for Spalletti. The Portuguese should start on the right flank.

In the middle of the park, the manager is determined to field Fabio Miretti, who has recently won him over, whether with his impressive outing against Bodo/Glimt, or his positive cameo against Cagliari. The Juventus youth product could replace Khephren Thuram.

Edon Zhegrova to make his full Juventus debut

The Turin-based newspaper also tips Edon Zhegrova to be fielded from the start, in addition to one between Jonathan David and Lois Openda, or potentially both.

On the other hand, Mattia Perin should maintain his place between the sticks for the third match in a row, allowing Michele Di Gregorio additional time to recover from gastroenteritis.

In any case, Perin is considered the designated Coppa Italia goalkeeper due to his role as understudy.

Michel Sakr

Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been a die-hard Juventus supporter since 1996. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Juve FC, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali and a Featured Writer on other websites including Stretty News, and The Cult of Calcio.