Juventus are navigating one of the more turbulent stretches of their season, with a growing injury list and unresolved squad questions threatening to complicate their push up the Serie A table. The club sits seventh with ten points from five games, and Spalletti's preparations for Cagliari have been disrupted by the late returns of Lucumí and Nico González from international duty, alongside ongoing fitness concerns over Alajbegovic, who was forced off early during Bosnia's Nations League match. That comes on top of longer-term absences for Yildiz, Locatelli, Thuram, Boga, Ekhtaor, and goalkeeper Grabara.

The injury to Grabara forced the club to move quickly in the market, and Neto's return to Turin has given Spalletti a reliable deputy in goal. The Brazilian, who was watching the Copa Davis at home when Juventus called, brings familiarity with the club and needs little time to settle.

In midfield, Pape Sarr has climbed the pecking order rapidly since arriving from Tottenham and could start alongside Douglas Luiz at Cagliari. Koopmeiners, by contrast, remains on the fringes after failing to take his chances earlier in the season. Spalletti has also spoken publicly about McKennie's transformation, describing a specific role built around the American that has made him close to indispensable. With a dense October schedule ahead, squad depth and fitness management will define how far Juventus can climb.