4 Juventus Players Who Deserve More Game Time

Given that Juventus have remained undefeated in Serie A since a late October victory over Torino, it is difficult to disagree with the decisions being made by coach Massimiliano Allegri. Indeed, since taking control of the Bianconeri back in the summer of 2014, the former Milan boss has seemingly made the right choices at almost every turn.

From match-winning substitutions to tactical shifts both before and after matches, the Livorno native has made Italian football’s grand Old Lady even more difficult to beat than before, yet he refuses to take the credit for bringing them to the brink of a fifth-consecutive league title.

“This is a true group effort that derives from the club’s support of the manager and players, who have been excellent from the tenth match-day onwards,” Allegri told a press conference after their most recent win over Milan.

That is undoubtedly true, but within that group are a number of players who arguably deserve to see more action, and what follows—in no particular order—is a closer look at four members of the Juventus squad who should receive more playing time in the coming weeks.

1. Stefano Sturaro

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With Sami Khedira suspended for the last two games, Stefano Sturaro should perhaps have featured more heavily. Instead, Allegri opted to hand Kwadwo Asamoah a place in the starting XI only to see the Ghana international turn in two largely disappointing performances for the Bianconeri.

With 17 starts in all competitions, averaging two tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game, according to WhoScored.com, the 23-year-old Sturaro will hopefully see more action in the future rather than it being handed to others.

2. Simone Zaza

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Like Sturaro, Simone Zaza struggles with a trio of international stars ahead of him. However, much like his midfield colleague, the striker should arguably have played more given the number of injuries affecting Juventus.

Paulo Dybala has been absent recently, yet Allegri has opted to field Mario Mandzukic alongside Alvaro Morata despite the fact that Zaza has scored four Serie A goals in just 496 minutes this term.

3. Daniele Rugani

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Having been forced to sit on the sidelines early in the campaign, Daniele Rugani has now begun to be regularly included by Allegri. That should continue even as the veterans ahead of him return to fitness, with the 21-year-old starting to truly deliver on his immense potential with a string of solid displays.

As discussed in this previous post, the former Empoli defender has averaged an impressive 1.2 tackles, 1 interception and 2.4 clearances per game, according to WhoScored. His team-mates have recognised that improvement.

“Daniele arrived as a 21-year-old, has come on a great deal and is on the right track for a guy who has 10 to 15 seasons at Juventus ahead of him,” Giorgio Chiellini told Mediaset recently (h/t Goal.com). “When you arrive here you can't expect to play every game in your first season, that's also how it was for me. He's developing steadily, and he just needs to keep on going.”

4. Mario Lemina

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Currently on loan from Marseille, Mario Lemina is another young talent who deserves more space in the Juventus XI. Like Sturaro, the club’s star-studded midfield has limited those opportunities, but the Gabon international has impressed whenever he's taken to the field.

Lemina has shown himself to be a reliable deputy for Claudio Marchisio in the central role, providing much more impetus and solidity than the disappointing Hernanes.

His ability and aptitude prompted Gigi Buffon to call him “simply Juve worthy” in a social media post (h/t Tom Sheen of the Independent), and the 22-year-old appears to be exactly that.