It was the news Juventus fans most wanted to hear: manager Massimo Allegri announced that Paul Pogba is fit and will almost certainly start tonight’s Champions League semi-final second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Pogba missed the first leg but made his return on Saturday, playing over an hour and opening the scoring in their 1-1 draw against Cagliari. He then joined his team as they flew to Madrid from Turin on Tuesday morning.
A slight delay meant that Allegri arrived a little late for his press conference at the Bernabéu but he got straight to the point.
“Paul is fine and it is very probable that he will start,” Allegri said. “Paul is an outstanding player and a very important one: on Wednesday he can show how good he is by playing a great game.”
Although Allegri did not reveal whether he was fit to play a full 90 minutes, their veteran goalkeeper, Gigi Buffon, 37, appeared to suggest that he might not be when he said: “Even if it is not for 90 minutes, he can give us 60-70 minutes at a great level and that would really help us.
“We have done better than anyone expected this season, especially when you consider that we have the cup final to come too,” Buffon added of a side that could yet win the treble.
“It has been fantastic but it is not true that we have nothing to lose, even if we do have the serenity that comes from having surpassed [our objectives].”
Allegri added: “In terms of motivation these games prepare themselves. We have to be brave and we will not just defend. Why shouldn’t we believe that we can do it? This is a great opportunity that no one thought we would have.”
