Juventus head into the next phase of their season with a sense of unfinished business, sitting seventh in Serie A on 10 points from five games as they prepare for the trip to Cagliari on October 11. The international break brought little rest for Spalletti, who must now piece together a squad disrupted by a growing injury list and some uncomfortable squad truths.

The most pressing concern is the fitness of Francisco Conceiçao, who picked up a muscular problem during Portugal's match in Norway and has not played since, as reported by Goal. His absence adds to a difficult picture that already saw goalkeeper Kamil Grabara ruled out for an extended period, prompting the club to sign returning Brazilian Norberto Neto as cover. Neto described the call as a surprise, saying he was watching the Davis Cup when Juventus reached out, but the familiarity of the club made his decision straightforward.

In midfield, Teun Koopmeiners remains a problem Spalletti has yet to solve. Goal's analysis notes the Dutchman dropped back to the bench before the break despite scoring for the Netherlands during the international window. Pape Sarr, signed late in the summer as a fallback after Franck Kessie chose Atalanta, has moved quickly up the pecking order and could start alongside Douglas Luiz at Cagliari.

Spalletti used a friendly against Cremonese, which Juventus lost 1-0, to experiment with Andrea Cambiaso in a deep midfield role, a tactical curiosity that raised questions about his options going forward.