On the eve of Juventus FC's opening Europa League group stage match against NEC Nijmegen at home, Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti spoke with Sky Sport Italia.

Coach Spalletti, does the shadow of Sunday's match still weigh on the team's mind, or have you reset everything by analyzing what happened before and the late goal we conceded?

We have to do this. We must reset everything and look forward with determination, because carrying the burden of past mistakes and regrets is pointless. It will only put us at a disadvantage and take away our initiative.

Of course, we've analyzed that match thoroughly, as you said. We absolutely cannot allow the same mistakes to happen again. We must ensure we make completely different decisions in those critical moments of the game. Even when the situation is chaotic and the pace is intense and rapid, we need to calmly choose what's right.

You said previously you didn't want to talk about injuries anymore, but you have Cambiaso and McKennie back. However, you can't use Koopmeiners, who is suspended, and Zygimantas Zygemantas is not on the Europa League squad list. So the number of available players is quite limited. Can you tell us about Cambiaso's and McKennie's current physical condition and how many minutes they might be able to play?

Regarding McKennie, as I mentioned in the press conference, I hope he can play from the start tomorrow. For a player who has just returned from injury, it's very difficult and unrealistic to expect him to play the full 90 minutes immediately. So we need to manage his substitution well. We also have another demanding match in two days' time—Atalanta at home in Serie A—so we need to distribute and manage physical exertion wisely and assess how much energy players have already expended.

As for Cambiaso, his condition has improved and he trained fully with the team today, showing many positive signs. However, with certain movements and situations, he still feels some minor discomfort, which creates some uncertainty in his mind. But after training, his ankle looked fine with no swelling, and he himself is confident he can play and help the team.

However, tomorrow morning we still need to carefully weigh all the pros and cons, because we don't want to see his injury return or worsen—especially knowing that the international break is coming soon. If he has to sit out again due to injury, he'll face another prolonged period of inactivity, leading to a significant loss of the physical condition and fitness he worked so hard to regain.

Given the current personnel situation, rotation options are quite limited. But I'd like to ask if it's possible that Federico Gatti, who hasn't played much, could get minutes tomorrow to give some of our regular defenders rest and recovery?

Federico Gatti will play tomorrow.

In attack, is it possible to start with a two-striker formation from the beginning tomorrow, or is it too early and would it be better to keep a powerful option on the bench to bring in at any time?

For the attacking setup, we have two or three cards to play, but this requires careful and thorough assessment. In this situation, I prefer to keep our tactical options secret and not give our opponent the advantage of knowing our tactical plan in advance.

About tomorrow's opponents—last season they were defined as one of the most aggressive attacking teams in Europe in terms of playing philosophy. Of course, this refers to their style and attacking intent, not because they're a traditional giant club. Rather, with this aggressive style, they qualified for the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in their history. They truly stand out. However, they are a team full of determination and this playing philosophy...

Yes, they have a truly creative and impressive tactical approach, and their style in competition is impressive. They maintain strong attacking power, averaging two goals per game, though they've conceded three or four in some matches. However, when facing them, you must anticipate every kind of unexpected situation, which requires our focus and rhythm to always sync with their high-intensity game pace. Even in moments when the game seems to settle, our minds must remain at high speed, because the opponent can launch an attack at any unexpected moment or completely overturn the normal flow of the match.

Consider this—even though these are two different competitions—how important is a good performance tomorrow? Given all the external talk right now and Carnevali's comments, could a strong performance tomorrow set a good foundation for Sunday's match? Combined with what you just said, how important is tomorrow's match?

Extremely important. Very important. As I just said, everything we do at the training ground from now on is crucial, because we'll be there until this evening. Clarifying and correcting problems immediately is vital, as it will determine where we should start improving from the beginning.

Moreover, everyone will see how much a defeat affects morale and creates negative consequences. So while I wouldn't dare say that a good performance is completely equivalent to a victory, it can help rebuild confidence in the team and give us the courage to propose and execute strategies and actions that can build a great future for us.

What about Carnevali?

Carnevali is a true doer who understands football deeply, a good person and an experienced club executive. In world football, everyone greatly admires his exceptional abilities, good character, and calm, balanced personality. He is truly a good and virtuous person. While he may have said things that went a bit far previously, it's because I respect him greatly and care about him. So I must try to meet his expectations and certainly not disappoint him.

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