Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt Laughs Off Rumour of Being Put on Low-Carb Diet

Matthijs de Ligt thinks his performances for Juventus are trending upwards after a difficult start to life in Italy, following his big-money move from Ajax in the summer.

While he's struggled at times, the 20-year-old refuted the idea his weight and diet have been issues. The centre-back explained how his career in Turin has unfolded so far to NU.nl (h/t Goal's Sean Wilson):

"(The article about being put on a low-carb diet and needing one-on-one sessions) really is a wild story.

It doesn't surprise me any more. Sometimes I think I had a decent game, but apparently there's something wrong after all. But those are only opinions. It's important to know what I do well and what went wrong - and I know that well.

Every new player should get the time to adapt to the team. Juventus had two great defenders already with [Giorgio] Chiellini and [Leonardo] Bonucci. The plan was to let me enter the team slowly, but it worked out differently. Obviously it's great that I get to play already, but you get thrown in at the deep end right away. That's a great challenge for me."

Dietary concerns were mooted in a report by Alvise Cagnazzo for MailOnline in September. Juve boss Maurizio Sarri reportedly insisted on a low-carb diet featuring plenty of vegetable proteins.

De Ligt's references to Chiellini, along with the Dutchman starting ahead of schedule, are telling. Chiellini was lost for at least six months when the 35-year-old suffered a knee injury in August.

Since then, De Ligt has started five times in Serie A and twice in the UEFA Champions League. It's a crash course in adapting to a higher level for one of the stars of last season's Eredivisie.

De Ligt went on to note how a fear of making a mistake made him play a cautious game when he first moved to Italy. His latest learning experience came during Sunday's 2-1 win away to Inter Milan.

The result put the Bianconeri top of the table, but only after they overcame De Ligt giving away a penalty that Lautaro Martinez converted.

De Light also struggled to contain powerhouse centre-forward Romelu Lukaku to add another lowlight to the infancy of his time with the Old Lady:

While he rued conceding a spot-kick, De Ligt said the win over Inter mattered more. The Netherlands international also revealed how he "called" himself "to order" after the 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid in Group D of the Champions League in September.

Progress has been slow, but the player who cost £67.5 million has the natural talent to become a key figure in Sarri's squad. It will happen sooner rather than later, even though De Ligt has a lot to get used to.

For one thing, he's joined a league defined by a more patient style than the high-intensity pressing and artful passing he was used to with Ajax. While defenders in the latter system were allowed to take chances with their positioning and aggressively hold a high line, Juve demand more patience and greater concentration from their back line.

De Ligt needs to get used to not taking as many risks. He also must maintain his focus to prevent a team often dominant in possession from being undone by sudden counters and chances.

Adapting from a style based on stepping out and defending proactively to a measured approach is a tricky process. It means De Ligt is likely due a few more setbacks, but arguably the most gifted young defender on the continent won't remain a weak link for long in a team as loaded as Juve.