Luciano Spalletti has ruled Kenan Yildiz and Weston McKennie out of Juventus’ meeting with Parma at the Allianz Stadium, turning the club’s second Serie A game of the 2026/27 season into an early test of depth. He said McKennie is out because of fatigue, while Yildiz is unavailable altogether.
That matters now because Juventus host Parma on Saturday, August 29, at 20:45 CEST, and Spalletti made clear the lineup is still being shaped with the clock ticking toward kickoff. Juventus are also waiting on Khephren Thuram, who has a niggle that is worrying the coach and will be checked on the morning of the match, leaving one more possible change hanging over the side.
Spalletti said the rest of the squad is available, but he also stressed that Juventus must keep the same approach and still find balance during the match. That leaves the club with a simple problem: they need to attack, but not so recklessly that the absences in midfield and wider areas create bigger gaps for Parma to exploit.
He was firm on one point. Juventus have complete faith in Randal Kolo Muani, but Spalletti said the forward has not played much recently and needs to get back to his best. He also pointed to Kerim Alajbegovic as a 19-year-old with quality, said Jhon Lucumi’s integration is going very well and that he is ready to play, and added that Lloyd Kelly did very well against Frosinone while Zeki Celik remains a reliable option.
The other pressure point is off the pitch. Spalletti said Juventus’ directors are working to finalize the squad right up to the last minute, with talks continuing over Franck Kessie and the club open to keeping Nico Gonzalez. Against a Parma side he described as dangerous through El Bilal Toure’s pace and the presence of Adrian Bernabe and Emmanuele Valeri, Juventus may end up learning as much about their bench as their starting XI. Thuram’s morning assessment will decide whether that uncertainty grows or narrows before kickoff.
