Luciano Spalletti confirmed that Kenan Yildiz has trained pain-free and is in line to feature against Hellas Verona on Sunday, with Dusan Vlahovic also declared available as Juventus push toward their end-of-season objectives. Spalletti delivered both updates in his pre-match press conference on Saturday, as reported by IlBianconero.
Yildiz had been managing a knee inflammation and was dropped to the bench in Juve’s recent outings as a precautionary measure. Nevertheless, the 20-year-old returned to training with his teammates, and Spalletti confirmed that the young forward has overcome the pain in his knee. He framed the situation as a management process rather than a structural concern, and expressed no doubts about Yildiz’s involvement on Sunday.
Spalletti also spoke warmly about what he described as Yildiz’s exceptional character, noting that even during difficult periods the Turkish forward projects a positive, proactive attitude that his teammates respond to. He added that Yildiz is someone who regularly stops to take photos and sign autographs for supporters after training, and does so happily.
Vlahovic pushing for a starting role
On Vlahovic, Spalletti confirmed the Serbian is training with great enthusiasm and has the right edge to him, and that he can be useful in the final four matches to help achieve the objective. The striker has not started since a serious injury in November, but Spalletti indicated his workload has been fine-tuned and that he is in a position to contribute meaningfully across the remaining matches.
Spalletti also revisited the goalless draw at San Siro, expressing clear dissatisfaction with how Juve adapted to Milan’s tempo. He stated that playing games in that manner makes a team smaller, and that not taking a stance is something he does not want to see from his side. With a Champions League campaign already behind them that carried genuine momentum, Spalletti made clear he expects a more assertive approach from his squad going forward.
