Juventus are navigating one of the more demanding stretches of their season, with a congested injury list and a series of squad decisions that will shape how Spalletti's side performs in a busy October. The club heads into Sunday's trip to Cagliari sitting seventh in Serie A with ten points from five games, level with Frosinone and Como, making the match at the Unipol Domus a meaningful opportunity to push clear of a tight mid-table cluster.

The injury situation remains the defining challenge. Yildiz, Locatelli, Thuram, Boga, Ekhtaor and Grabara are all sidelined, and the international break added fresh concerns. Francisco Conceiçao picked up a muscular injury on duty with Portugal, while Kerim Alajbegovic was forced off early during Bosnia's Nations League match, though the winger did score before leaving the pitch. Zeki Celik played all four of Turkey's Nations League games and faces a fitness assessment on his return.

With so many players unavailable or returning late, Spalletti faces genuine selection dilemmas. Andrea Cambiaso is a credible candidate to start at Cagliari, which would be his first start of the season. Pape Sarr, signed late from Tottenham after the club missed out on Kessie, is also pushing for a place alongside Douglas Luiz in midfield. Meanwhile, Teun Koopmeiners continues to struggle for consistent minutes despite showing form for the Netherlands during the break, adding another layer of complexity to Spalletti's midfield choices.