Thiago Motta Updates on Juventus Injuries and Transfers Ahead of AC Milan Match

Juventus coach Thiago Motta discusses the team's preparations for their Serie A match against AC Milan, confirms Randal Kolo Muani's imminent arrival, and provides updates on player injuries and availability.

Juventus coach Thiago Motta has confirmed that the club is set to sign France forward Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain. Motta expressed his satisfaction with the awaited move, stating that he hopes Kolo Muani will be available for their Serie A match against AC Milan on Saturday. “I am happy with the arrival of Kolo Muani,” Motta told a press conference on Friday.

Motta revealed that the club is waiting for some final paperwork to be completed before Kolo Muani can officially join the team. “We are just waiting for some final pieces of paperwork to complete the transfer. If everything goes to plan, he will be with us tomorrow, otherwise we will have him from the next match,” Motta explained. The loan deal is expected to last until the end of the season, although no contract details have been disclosed by the clubs.

Randal Kolo Muani, a regular member of Didier Deschamps' France team, has struggled to establish himself at Paris Saint-Germain under Luis Enrique, making only two league starts this season. Despite starting the campaign strongly with two goals in the first three games, Kolo Muani has found himself out of favor. Juventus coach Thiago Motta has high expectations for Kolo Muani, saying: “I expect everything from Randal both on and off the pitch.”

Motta emphasized the importance of hard work and dedication from Kolo Muani, stating: “I asked him to train well, work well and do everything he has to do to be available. I asked him, I ask all my players.” With Kolo Muani set to join the team, Juventus will also be bolstered by the return of Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic. Motta confirmed Vlahovic's availability, saying: “Vlahovic will be with the group tomorrow, he has trained well over the last few days.”

Motta explained that Vlahovic had been given time to recover, which is why he was left out of the last two games. However, the striker is now set to return to the squad for the match against AC Milan. “Dusan has been left out of the last two games in order to give him time to recover, but, as I said, he will be in the squad for the match against AC Milan,” Motta said.

🎙️ Motta: "I don't like talking about the transfer market, even more about ‘what ifs’: I know that Cambiaso is well, he has trained well and that is the only sure thing."#JuveMilan

— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) January 17, 2025

Juventus will still be missing several key players for their upcoming match against AC Milan, including defenders Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal, as well as strikers Arkadiusz Milik and Francisco Conceicao. However, coach Thiago Motta confirmed that the rest of the squad is available for selection. “Everyone else is available,” Motta added.

Despite their recent struggles, Juventus remains in fifth place in the Serie A standings, three points ahead of seventh-placed Milan. The team has managed only one win in their last eight league games, with the remaining matches ending in draws, including the last three. Motta emphasized the importance of staying within reach of the Champions League zone, saying: “We definitely want to stay (within the reach of) the Champions League zone.”

🎙️ Motta: "I don't like talking about the transfer market, even more about ‘what ifs’: I know that Cambiaso is well, he has trained well and that is the only sure thing."#JuveMilan

— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) January 17, 2025

Looking ahead to the match against Milan, Motta stressed the need for his team to be focused and motivated. “Tomorrow we have an important opportunity to play at home against Milan... Obviously tomorrow the championship will not end (but we need to be) at the maximum: focused, motivated, to put in a great performance to get the victory,” Motta said.