Juventus Roundtable: Who Would Juve Miss the Most if They Were Injured?

Considering Juventus have been hit hard by injuries as of late, the first Juventus Roundtable discussed who the club would miss the most if they were out for an extended period of time.

It seemed as though the conversation centered on the heart of the defense, with only two players being mentioned.

Daniel Penza

There’s only one name that can really apply here: Gianluigi Buffon. Yes Alessandro Del Piero is the face of the team, but Buffon is the heart and soul.

Juve have gotten lucky by playing two of the lower echelon teams in Serie A while Buffon is currently out, but would it be the same if Juve had to play Inter or AC Milan, or Real Madrid in the Champions League?

Yes the team was successful back in 2005 when Buffon was out, but this is a different Juve club. They have to rely more on defense considering they don’t have the star-studded squad they did before their demotion to Serie B.

Zahi Sahli

Juventus have a lot options in midfield and in their attack. However, they do not have a lot of quality defenders. If Giorgio Chiellini is out injured for an extended period of time, it would leave Juve in jeopardy. After that, Juve manager Claudio Ranieri will not have the chance to rotate his defense which will cause the players to be fatigued, especially considering have to play in Serie A, Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.

Khalid Shakran

Receiving the label like that of “the best goalkeeper on the planet" doesn't just arrive overnight. If Juve were to lose Gianluigi Buffon for a long period of time, the defensive changes would be directly hit. If he isn't busy saving the opposing team's dangerous attacks, he constantly keeps his back-line solid and attentive.

Alexander Manninger, Juve’s No. 2 goalkeeper who has filled in during Buffon's current 10-day absence, doesn't seem to have that charismatic personality.

Plus, Buffon's Serie A and international experience is, without a doubt, irreplaceable.

Marzia Hazra

My choice has to be goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. There’s only one reason why: the Italian international is considered one of the best goalies in the world, if not the best. His spectacular saves speak for themselves.
 
We have already seen on one too many occasions the negative effect Buffon’s absence has had on the defense and the team in its entirety. The sense of security he provides to his team and the supporters with his consistent stability between the posts is hard to come by.

Without the Juve No. 1 in goal, I don’t think that the amount of goals conceded would be as low as it is today.