LIÈGE (Azat TV) – Juventus took to the pitch against Belgian side Standard Liège at the Stade de Sclessin on July 25, 2026, for their second pre-season friendly, but the fixture served primarily to highlight the severe personnel shortages facing head coach Luciano Spalletti. With numerous key starters unavailable due to extended summer rest or lingering recovery, Juventus fielded a heavily rotated side while the club’s sporting administration worked to finalize multiple outgoing transfer deals.
Spalletti’s Pre-Season Dilemma and Youth Integration
Reports emerging from the team’s training camp indicate growing frustration from manager Luciano Spalletti regarding the slow pace of squad reinforcements. Spalletti has reportedly had as few as three or four established first-team starters fully available during the opening weeks of summer preparation. Key figures including defender Gleison Bremer, midfielder Khéphren Thuram, attacker Kenan Yildiz, winger Francisco Conceição, and forward Jonathan David were all absent from the squad that traveled to Belgium, leaving the coaching staff with limited tactical options.
To fulfill the fixture, Spalletti relied heavily on young prospects and secondary squad members. The starting line-up featured 18-year-old forward Arman Durmisi as the central striker, supported by Vasilije Adzic and Jeremie Boga in attack. Midfielder Douglas Luiz returned to the starting XI alongside Manuel Locatelli, while youth product Adin Licina joined Andrea Cambiaso in wing-back roles. The defensive line was anchored by Pierre Kalulu, Federico Gatti, and Lloyd Kelly ahead of goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.
Outgoings in Motion: Openda and João Mário
The selection choices were further complicated by pending transfer negotiations for players currently in the squad. Forward Loïs Openda was named among the substitutes despite being on the verge of completing a season-long loan move to French Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais. Although Openda was the only senior centre-forward in the matchday squad, Spalletti chose to start Durmisi, reflecting the imminent nature of Openda’s departure.
Similarly, Portuguese full-back João Mário began the match on the bench as transfer talks regarding his exit entered advanced stages. Fiorentina has submitted a formal bid worth between €8 million and €9 million for the 26-year-old defender. João Mário arrived at Juventus from Porto during the previous summer transfer window in a €12.6 million deal, but registered just 10 Serie A appearances before spending the second half of the season on loan at Bologna in an exchange move involving Emil Holm. With neither club electing to make those loans permanent, João Mário returned to Turin, where Juventus is now actively seeking to monetize his departure.
Squad Depth and Strategic Outlook
The convergence of incomplete transfer incomings and impending departures leaves Juventus thin in several core positions as the Serie A season approaches. Alongside talks for outfield departures, the club is evaluating options in goal, having maintained contact with Parma regarding Zion Suzuki and adding Benfica’s Anatoliy Trubin to their shortlist of targets.
Spalletti’s central challenge over the coming weeks will be integrating returning late-summer international players while ensuring any new signings adapt quickly to his system. While pre-season minutes offer valuable development opportunities for youngsters like Durmisi and Licina, the club’s broader ambitions will depend heavily on whether the front office can deliver a fully balanced squad before the transfer window closes.