Massimiliano Allegri believes coaches who are shown red cards should pay fines that are then passed to charities, rather than face touchline bans.

The Juventus head coach was sent off in stoppage time of his side's dramatic 2-2 draw with Salernitana on Sunday after protesting the referee and VAR overturning what would have been a last-minute winning goal from Arkadiusz Milik, who was also dismissed for taking his shirt off during the initial celebrations.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Bianconeri hosting Benfica in the Champions League group stage, Allegri said he considers the chapter "closed", but raised his idea that coaches pay fines rather than face bans following such incidents.

"I have never expressed any judgements of the referees," he said. "It's not up to me to express my opinion on that. I closed that chapter on Sunday.

"I don't know whether I will be able to take part in Sunday's game [at Monza]. Rather than being sent off, maybe it would be better to pay a fine for coaches so we can help charities, but I would like to be on the pitch.

"This is something that should be taken into consideration that could be food for thought, in my opinion." 

Juve have had an underwhelming start to the season, drawing four of their six Serie A games so far, while they lost their opening game in Group H of the Champions League 2-1 at Paris Saint-Germain last week.

Allegri expects his team to improve, but pointed to a lack of experience at the top level for several of his players, singling out new arrival Bremer, who signed from Torino in July.

"We certainly have experience, but at the same time we have other players who have not played in the Champions League very often, and have not played in Serie A very often, so they have less experience," Allegri said.

"Playing for Juventus is not easy at all, the players are always under pressure. Obviously we want to win all the time so we are pushed from the outside.

"Bremer, I believe, will only be playing his second match in the Champions League if I'm not wrong. He's an extraordinary signing for the club of course but in terms of experience... he has to deal with some psychological pressure.

"We would like to have a different situation in Serie A. We have lost some points and I am sorry for that. We have time to recover, but as for the match, it will be a difficult and complicated match and we must be focused on it."

The former Milan boss did have some good news for Juve fans, saying Angel Di Maria has returned from injury and could start at the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday, while first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is also back in training.

"Di Maria has recovered," he said. "I don't know if he will start, but he has been training with the team. Szczesny has also been training so may be available, I will know after this press conference.

"Alex Sandro had a problem after Sunday, he might be back for the Monza game, and [Adrien] Rabiot and [Manuel] Locatelli are out."

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri lamented his team's fortune with VAR after they saw a late winner chalked off in a 2-2 home draw with Salernitana.

Arkadiusz Milik looked to have won the game with a 94th minute header from a corner, but VAR disallowed the goal after the ball took a slight nick off Leonardo Bonucci, who was stood in an offside position.

Bonucci had levelled the match just a minute previously with a rebound from his own missed penalty, as Juventus came back from a 2-0 half-time deficit to earn a point.

In addition to Milik's goal being ruled out, the striker was given a second yellow card for his overzealous celebration. A scuffle ensued which saw Juve's Juan Cuadrado and Salernitana's Federico Fazio given straight reds, while Allegri also received his marching orders for his part in the altercation.

Allegri spoke on his VAR frustrations after the game, telling reporters: "I can't give interpretations because I'm not a referee, you have to accept the decisions. I think the referee was good.

"On the goal I would like to see the image where you can see [Antonio] Candreva who is in front of the ball where the corner is taken. I would like to know if there is an image where Candreva is seen.

"Since the beginning of the season we are a bit unlucky with this VAR, we can say this."

Allegri, in his second spell as Juve head coach, was disappointed with his team's first-half reaction to going a goal behind through former Bianconeri wide-man Antonio Candreva, before Krzysztof Piatek doubled the visitors' lead just before the break.

"Let's analyse the game. We played 20 minutes very well, then after the goal we stopped," Allegri added.

"Sooner or later it had to happen to go behind, I wanted to see the reaction. It was the first time we were at a disadvantage and my curiosity was to see how we would react. We didn't react well.

"Then in the second half we played a good match. Salernitana played a good game and I have to congratulate [Davide] Nicola."

Massimiliano Allegri called for Juventus to become more "unpleasant" as he said the Bianconeri must remain in Scudetto contention by the time Serie A breaks for the World Cup in November.

Juventus have made a solid if unspectacular start to the new campaign, taking nine points from their first five Serie A matches while remaining unbeaten.

But Allegri's men have faced criticism for their tepid style, and were outplayed by Paris Saint-Germain when they suffered a 2-1 defeat in their Champions League opener on Tuesday. 

That result means the Bianconeri have started a Champions League campaign with a loss for just the second time in their 23 participations in the competition (W13 D8), also losing to Barcelona in September 2017 (3-0).

Allegri believes Juventus were too "nice" on their trip to France and called for them to toughen up ahead of Sunday's match against Salernitana.

"After 2-0 there was a good match, a good reaction. I don't like that Juve played well after the 2-0, and we have also become nice," Allegri said on Saturday.

"That's not good. I am very angry, you have to be unpleasant, so we are successful. Otherwise we get used to being nice and pretty and losers, and that's not good! 

"You have to take the positives from the game. The boys know it, we have a game to face with the right seriousness.

"We work day-by-day to create conditions to achieve goals. But it takes something else. You don't have to be nice or pretty."

Juventus have been beset by injuries – including those suffered by new arrivals Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria – in the season's early weeks, and are also waiting on the recovery of Federico Chiesa, who has not featured since undergoing surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in January.

With Serie A set to pause for almost two months from early November, Allegri believes remaining in contention until the World Cup starts will be crucial for their Scudetto hopes.

"At this moment, with the numerical difficulties, we need to arrive in November in the best possible ranking condition," Allegri said.

"I know that there is a great desire to work, to return to winning even if it is not easy. We were missing players from the beginning, important players.

"In January we will recover everyone but we cannot ruin everything this month.

"[What] if we take away the equivalent of Pogba, Di Maria and Chiesa from the other teams? 

"We must be happy with what we are doing, knowing that the prospects are rosy."

On Chiesa, Allegri added: "I hope to have him before the World Cup break. He will be at 100 per cent in January, now there is a month left, he is working on the field alone. 

"We hope to have him as soon as possible with the team in a partial role."

Juventus are looking to defend a strong record against Salernitana when they host Davide Nicola's men on Sunday; the Bianconeri have won four of the teams' previous six Serie A meetings (D1 L1), keeping five clean sheets.

Massimiliano Allegri was left frustrated by a "wasted chance" after his Juventus team lost 2-1 to Paris Saint-Germain.

Juve's Champions League campaign looked set to get off to a humbling start at the Parc des Princes when Kylian Mbappe's double put PSG 2-0 up inside 22 minutes.

Yet some sloppy finishing and poor defending from their hosts allowed Juve back into it in the second half, with Weston McKennie heading home to reduce the deficit.

Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off a fine stop to deny Dusan Vlahovic and Manuel Locatelli had a late effort blocked close to the line, and while Juve were fortunate not to concede more at the other end, they ultimately gave a strong account of themselves despite losing to PSG for the first time in a competitive fixture.

Allegri previously declared Benfica – who beat Maccabi Haifa 2-0 on Tuesday – as Juve's main rivals in Group H, but the Bianconeri's coach was in the end disappointed not to get a result against PSG.

"We played a good game, it's a wasted chance, we had to be more clear-headed in the final minutes," Allegri told Canale 5, as reported by Football Italia.

"We had to create more chances on the left, we didn't do it enough. We could have been dangerous in those situations with McKennie wide on the right. We must improve, it's a wasted chance."

Juve lost their opening match to a Champions League campaign for just the second time in their 23 seasons in the competition (W13 D8), also losing to Barcelona in September 2017 (3-0), but after going down fighting – registering just two shots fewer than PSG (13 to 15) and a similar expected goals value (1.1 to 1.5) – midfielder Adrien Rabiot shared his coach's frustration.

"We started badly, in the first 20 minutes we suffered," he said, via Football Italia. "We could have done even more, being more clinical. I am a bit angry, especially because of the first half. We conceded two early goals, too early, and the game changed.

"We proved that we could do better in the second half, we had chances, but we must continue to work and think of Benfica at home [in the next game].

"We have to work, find the right system and the right players on the pitch, but I think that tonight we did better than in league games.

"Unfortunately, when we lose there is always criticism for the players and the coach. We reacted well in the second half and I am glad of it, we showed good things but we must work, it's a long season and we know it."

Paul Pogba could be set to miss the World Cup after deciding to undergo surgery on a troublesome knee injury, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.  

Pogba ended a six-year spell at Manchester United to return to Turin in July but has yet to play a competitive game during his second Bianconeri spell after injuring his meniscus.

The midfielder, who was a key part of France's 2018 World Cup-winning side, initially opted for therapy over surgery in a bid to ease his injury woes ahead of the tournament in Qatar, which begins in November.

But speaking ahead of Juventus' Champions League group-stage trip to Paris Saint-Germain, Allegri revealed the 29-year-old will now go under the knife, casting doubt over his chances of featuring in Qatar.

"I have to count on having him back in January. Whether he plays the World Cup or not isn't my problem," Allegri said on Monday.

"This morning he trained for the second time, but then stopped, and it was then decided that he will undergo surgery.

"I hope we get him back before the World Cup. But there are [less than three months] to go until it starts. 

"The World Cup isn't my problem. Juventus is, which returns in January.

"Pogba had made a conservative choice, we will get him back in January. It will hardly be before November, we need to be realistic."

However, Allegri claims he is not irritated by Pogba's initial doubts over the procedure, which has essentially set the midfielder's recovery back by over a month.

"From here you look forward," he said. "The past does not change, if you make a decision it is right, then you see if it was done well or badly. 

"We do not think about whether we might have done it. Now let's think about having a good game [on Tuesday]."

While Pogba will be unable to make the trip to his home country to feature at the Parc des Princes, Juventus will also be without former PSG winger Angel Di Maria as he continues to battle a calf injury.

Allegri highlighted the need to manage the Argentinian's workload, adding: "I made him play against Spezia because a shock was needed. On Sunday [against Fiorentina] he was better.

"Taking him with us to Paris and risking him for a match with many important matches between now and November… no. Otherwise he loses his physical condition, he would be of no use."

Massimiliano Allegri was angry with the way Juventus squandered a lead and defended his decision to keep Dusan Vlahovic on the bench in a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina.

Arkadiusz Milik marked his first Juve start by scoring his second goal in as many games at Stadio Artemio Franchi, but that proved to be a false dawn.

Christian Kouame equalised with a goal on the break after Weston McKennie passed when he should have tried his luck at the other end.

Mattia Perin saved Luka Jovic's penalty late in the first half after Leandro Paredes was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area on his Bianconeri debut.

Allegri withdrew Angel Di Maria at half-time as a precaution and opted to send on Moise Kean rather than in-form ex-Fiorentina striker Vlahovic as Juve made it five Serie A matches without defeat this season.

Juve head coach Allegri was not impressed with the manner in which his side were caught out for Kouame's strike.

He said: "Getting angry is an understatement, you should not concede that goal. At that moment we had to kill the game."

Allegri added: "In the second half we dropped [back], but the thing to improve absolutely is that when you have the ball when leading.

"From that ball [from McKennie] then came the corner [for Juve] and the 1-1, which changes everything."

Vlahovic had scored four goals in as many games but Allegri felt he needed a rest ahead of a Champions League opener at Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

He said: "He had played several games and Milik could give us an extra hand. We wanted him to rest, then there were some forced changes."

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri thinks Denis Zakaria's exit to Chelsea was the best move for club and player, saying his Bianconeri squad is "complete" even after some deadline-day departures.

The Switzerland international was one of a handful of last-gasp exits from Turin, alongside fellow midfielders Arthur and Nicolo Rovella, who moved on to Liverpool and Monza respectively.

Allegri was only able to add one more player, in a loan deal for Paris Saint-Germain man Leandro Paredes, but nevertheless, he remains happy with the composition of his squad.

"[It] is difficult to say [if I am satisfied with the market]," he added. "The club has worked very well with both incoming and outgoing moves. We held onto the young people who were the goal of the club.

"With Zakaria, there was the possibility [of an exit] because he felt a little withdrawn. He enthusiastically accepted this opportunity. I wish him and Arthur good luck.

"We've made our choices and they are happy. We have completed the squad in the best possible way. We think about our recoveries and then we will be complete."

Ahead of the clash with Fiorentina, Allegri is still juggling a host of injury concerns, with Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa long-term absentees, while Adrien Rabiot will also miss out.

But Angel Di Maria could feature in some capacity, with the head coach adding: "He is not in an optimal condition, but he can play. If it is 45 or 60 minutes, we will see."

Massimiliano Allegri says it is more important for Juventus to be "effective" than "beautiful" after a 2-0 Serie A win over Spezia.

Dusan Vlahovic scored another stunning free-kick and new signing Arkadiusz Milik opened his Juve account to seal the victory in stoppage time on Wednesday.

There were boos from frustrated Bianconeri fans as Allegri's side showed they are a work in progress on a day in which they signed midfielder Leandro Paredes from Paris Saint-Germain.

Juve were sloppy in possession after a strong start, but Spezia lacked the quality to make them pay at Allianz Stadium, where the Turin giants maintained their unbeaten record this season.

Allegri called for patience, but made it clear that securing three points in more important than fluent football.

He told Sky Sport: "Now it is important to bring home the result, then there are games in which you play better. It is normal that we have to grow. 

"Last year Juventus did not win anything, we need everyone's help. It's right that they [the fans] boo us if things go wrong. There is a difference between being beautiful and effective: you have to be effective. I don't like being 'pretty' and not winning."

Juve face an anxious wait to discover the extent of an ankle injury sustained by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, but Allegri confirmed he did suffer a fracture.

Serbia striker Vlahovic scored a carbon copy of his free-kick in the draw against Roma last weekend and now has four goals in as many games, but Allegri says there is much more to come.

He added: "Vlahovic fought, scored an extraordinary goal and worked well. He has room for improvement, I think this was his best performance.

"Vlahovic has improved, he could have scored more than one goal and I think he will be able to reach the maximum when he finds more control and tranquillity. He attacks the area and is a goalscorer, but he has to improve in other aspects. different cleanliness of the game."

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri says he has not seen Paul Pogba since allegations of an extortion plot targeting the France international came to light.

Pogba returned to Turin in July following six frustrating years at Manchester United, having originally left Juventus to head back to Old Trafford, where he started his career.

The early stages of the World Cup winner's second Juventus spell have been blighted first by a knee injury and now by claims of an attempt to extort money from him.

Pogba's lawyers have alleged he has been targeted by an organised gang. ESPN reported the matter is being investigated by French police, with threats received by Pogba said to be serious.

Speaking ahead of his team welcoming Spezia for a Serie A game on Wednesday, Allegri said he has not caught up with the Frenchman, having stayed away from him during his injury recovery.

"I haven't seen him because Injured players work train at different times," Allegri said on Tuesday, when asked about the midfielder.

He explained: "At the moment Paul Pogba isn't available, if everything goes well, from next week he'll start running again, he is a very important player for us."

Allegri confirmed Angel Di Maria would return to the fold for the Spezia game after an adductor injury, but declined to say whether the Argentine playmaker would start.

"I haven't decided on the line-up yet," Allegri said. "Angel Di Maria [is] available, [but] tomorrow, I will decide on the formation. The match will be a difficult and important one. Spezia are doing good things in the league and they are a team that scores goals."

Jose Mourinho told his Roma players he "felt ashamed of being their coach" before they recovered from a goal down at half-time to draw 1-1 against Juventus.

Roma had won their opening two Serie A games without conceding but fell behind to a Dusan Vlahovic free-kick inside 76 seconds at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

Juve had a second goal through Manuel Locatelli ruled out for a Vlahovic handball in the build-up in a half the home side dominated, outshooting their opponents 10 to three.

Mourinho responded by replacing Gianluca Mancini and Leonardo Spinazzola with Stephan El Shaarawy and Nicola Zalewski at the break, and Roma improved in the second half.

The visitors found a way through from one of their three efforts on target in the second period, with Tammy Abraham turning in former Juve player Paulo Dybala's acrobatic pass.

While his side's unbeaten start to the season remains intact with a credible point in Turin, however, Mourinho accepted Roma were rather fortunate.

Asked what he said at half-time, Mourinho told DAZN: "I told the team I was ashamed of them. I felt ashamed of being their coach.

"The game changed, but let's not talk about tactics; let's instead talk about attitude. We can't get where we want with this attitude.

"I told [assistant coach Salvatore] Foti to pray that it finished only 1-0. That would have been a good result after that first-half performance.

"I told them to take advantage of the luck we had, knowing the game could have been over at that point. Every now and then, you are dominated but you have to manage it better.

"I had a bench with very few offensive solutions, especially compared to [Massimiliano] Allegri. But after analysing the second half, we deserved to win that 1-0."

The goal Roma conceded came from Vlahovic's first touch and was Juve's first direct free-kick goal in the league since Cristiano Ronaldo scored against Torino in July 2020.

It ended the Giallorossi's four-game run without conceding in all competitions, but the home team were unable to hold on and now have just one win from three games this term.

And Juve head coach Allegri recognised his side could have no complaints with the full-time scoreline after they failed to finish off Roma when on top in the first half.

"Jose's always smart and sharp in the way he reads games," Allegri said of his opposite number. "If you don't kill off the game, you always leave the possibility of an equaliser.

"We were tired after a strong first half and probably should have focused on passing the ball around to slow things down.

"That's something we need to learn. You cannot expect a team to dominate the match for the full 90 minutes."

Juve, who had beaten Roma in 10 of their 11 previous league games at the Allianz Stadium, went with a 4-2-3-1 formation, but Allegri hinted he is open to change once at full strength.

"First of all we need to focus on getting Federico Chiesa, Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria back," Allegri said when asked about his set-up. 

"They all have technique and a change of pace. Having changes available from the bench makes a big difference."

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri insists he is not concerned by Dusan Vlahovic's struggles as the Bianconeri prepare to host fellow Scudetto hopefuls Roma.

Allegri faced fierce criticism from Juventus supporters in the aftermath of Monday's 0-0 draw at Sampdoria, during which Vlahovic managed just nine touches overall, and a mere three before the break. 

No player to take the field for 90 minutes in a Serie A game has had fewer touches since David Trezeguet had eight for Juventus against Catania in May 2008.

Since the start of last season, meanwhile, Vlahovic has scored 26 Serie A goals in 38 appearances, but just nine of those have come since his January move to Juventus (in 17 appearances).

Vlahovic has also gone from averaging a goal every 109 minutes for Fiorentina to scoring every 139 minutes for the Bianconeri, although his big chance conversation rate has risen since his move to Turin (80 per cent, as opposed to 73.33 per cent for Fiorentina last term).

With Juve's lack of creativity becoming a key talking point at the start of the campaign, Allegri is adamant Vlahovic's lack of involvement is not a worry.

"If he touched a ball and scored a goal, I'd be happy," Allegri said. "We had a bad first half with Sampdoria. 

"The games last 95 minutes, I got angry because in the second half the game had to be grasped. They were in trouble, we had opportunities that we didn't take advantage of. 

"It is normal that the performance of the first half should be improved, but there were also the merits of Sampdoria who closed the spaces and made the defenders play a lot.

"Last year we laid the foundations to go back to winning. We will try to do it, we will also see the market as it ends. The fun for me is winning and to do it you have to go through difficult moments. 

"It takes a little patience. That's why the other day, after the first half you had to stay calm because you could only improve."

Vlahovic will now be joined in the Juventus attack by Arkadiusz Milik, who has arrived from Marseille, while Paris Saint-Germain's Leandro Paredes has also been linked with a move to Turin.

Though Allegri refused to be drawn on the future of the Argentina midfielder, he believes Milik could form an effective partnership with Vlahovic and is prepared to throw him in immediately.

"Paredes hasn't arrived yet and I don't know if he will arrive. We need to concentrate on tomorrow's match," he added.

"[I'm] very happy with Milik, he has impressive numbers. As regards his characteristics, he can also play with Vlahovic. 

"We are waiting for the clearance that I hope will arrive in the afternoon, so tomorrow will be available. Since I haven't decided on the line-up yet, maybe I'll let him play from the beginning. But I don't know until tomorrow, this idea flashed on me."

Meanwhile, Juventus have been handed a difficult draw for the Champions League's group stages, where they will meet PSG, Benfica and Maccabi Haifa.

And Allegri expects Juve to face a direct battle for second place with the Portuguese outfit, adding: "In the Champions League these are all difficult matches, on paper PSG is stronger. 

"On paper, we play for the next round with Benfica. It is unlikely that there are easy games in Europe."

Goalkeeper Mattia Perin said Juventus' draw with Sampdoria left "a bad taste in our mouth" and showed where Massimiliano Allegri's side must improve.

Juventus were looking to join Napoli, Inter and Roma on six points from two games at the start of the Serie A season on Monday, but could only manage a 0-0 stalemate on their travels.

They failed to break down a Sampdoria side who lost 2-0 to Atalanta on the opening weekend of the season, and coach Allegri said his players would need to train hard ahead of Saturday's enticing tussle with Roma.

Perin said of the result: "This draw should serve as a lesson to understand which areas we need to work on. 

"Obviously, it leaves a bad taste in our mouth, but it will be an extra incentive to better prepare for the next game.

"Surely not having conceded a goal for the second consecutive matchday is an excellent sign and confirms how much good we are doing in training."

Perin also told Juventus' website: "We knew it would not be easy to come and play at the Marassi, against a team as difficult to face as Sampdoria. Now, our goal is to continue training with the same determination as we have shown up to now."

Allegri could soon have reinforcements on the way, with Barcelona forward Memphis Depay a confirmed target. Vice-president Pavel Nedved strongly hinted Juventus also have other players in their sights when he spoke shortly before kick-off at Sampdoria.

After the game, Allegri preferred to focus on the players already at his disposal, saying: "The club will take care of the market, we have to work. We have to look at the positive things, not the negative ones."

Adrien Rabiot had a goal disallowed due to Dusan Vlahovic straying offside, and Allegri said Juventus had shown "little patience" in the first half before improving after the interval.

Striker Vlahovic only managed three touches in the first half and had just nine across the full 90 minutes.

No player to take the field for 90 minutes in a Serie A game has had fewer touches since David Trezeguet had eight for Juventus against Catania in May 2008.

"We would have liked the three points, but the positive aspect is that in these first two matchdays we haven't conceded a goal," Allegri added.

"We are growing in condition and we will continue to work hard to get ready for the match on Saturday evening against Roma."

Adrien Rabiot will play for Juventus at Sampdoria on Monday, just days after his move to Manchester United collapsed, manager Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.

The Bianconeri boss has also not ruled out further arrivals before the transfer window shuts, after a busy off-season for the Serie A heavyweights.

Rabiot looked set to bring the curtain down on his time in Turin with a move to the Premier League earlier this month, with new United boss Erik ten Hag looking to bolster his ranks after a slow start to the new campaign.

But despite the two clubs agreeing a fee, it was reported that the deal fell through when terms could not be successfully brokered with the player.

It means Rabiot looks destined to remain at Allianz Stadium for another season - and now Allegri has confirmed the France international will feature in Monday's clash with Sampdoria.

"Rabiot will play tomorrow," he stated. "On the transfer market, [with] players, it is normal that there are chances that they can leave and that the club will ask if the player is available."

Having scraped their way to Champions League football again last term, Allegri has strengthened with the recruitment of Angel Di Maria, Filip Kostic, Bremer and Paul Pogba in the transfer window, the latter returning from United.

But the Frenchman's injury record will see him miss the first few weeks of the season, and his boss is keeping his powder dry when it comes to further additions.

"Regardless of the transfer market, we must do our best with the squad we have available," he added. "We are doing a lot these months. without being distracted."

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri has insisted he is "not worried" about Angel Di Maria after the Argentine limped off against Sassuolo.

Di Maria opened the scoring on his debut and provided an assist for Dusan Vlahovic in the 3-0 triumph, where the striker also won and converted a penalty.

After a slow start, it was largely plain sailing for Juventus after Di Maria's debut goal, but concern was raised after the former Paris Saint-Germain ace limped off in the second half with a suspected adductor injury.

Juventus also saw Denis Zakaria pick up an injury during the match, but Allegri insisted that he was not concerned about the prospective setbacks.

"I am not worried. We'll see what the tests say tomorrow," he told DAZN.

"Unfortunately, these things happen in football. He had this adductor issue a week ago too, perhaps I should've taken him off when we were 3-0 up, but he was enjoying himself out there. 

"Zakaria just had a cramp, nothing more. The important thing is that we won a game that we really wanted to win, which was by no means simple."

Juventus' may make further additions before the close of the transfer window on September 1, with Di Maria's compatriot and former PSG teammate Leandro Paredes heavily touted to make a move to Turin.

The midfielder was shown on social media to be following the game but Allegri played down the significance.

"They are friends, both from Argentina, so that's natural. I don't know if they can play together, I have to work with the players at my disposal," he added.

"The club has done well, we lost important players and brought in good replacements."

Massimiliano Allegri says it is "useless" to discuss the transfer market as Juventus prepare to start the Serie A season against Sassuolo on Monday.

Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria, Gleison Bremer and Filip Kostic have arrived at Juve during the transfer window, while Leandro Paredes and Memphis Depay have also been linked with moves to Turin.

Juve midfielder Adrien Rabiot is reportedly a target for Manchester United and on Sunday, Allegri suggested Arthur – who is sidelined with an ankle injury – could also move on.

But the Bianconeri coach is determined to avoid being distracted by transfer talk ahead of the clash with Sassuolo at the Allianz Stadium.

He said: "It is useless to talk about the transfer market, the club thinks about it. Players who left have been replaced, we must think about tomorrow's match.

"Sassuolo are coming from a bad defeat in the Coppa Italia [3-2 against Modena], but they have taken on important players like [Andrea] Pinamonti."

Meanwhile, Allegri believes suffering a 4-0 friendly thrashing against Atletico Madrid could be a blessing in disguise for Juve as they attempt to mount a title challenge.

He said: "We had three important friendlies, the last one ended badly and we had worked a lot during the week. The defeat did us good to make us raise our antennas, I have heard too many triumphalisms around.

"Juventus has the duty to try to win, the competitors have strengthened. There are four or five suitors [for the Scudetto] and we are among them. We have to work in silence, improve the team from all points of view.

"I think it is a job that we are doing every day, the club has been very good at replacing those who left. Let's think about the championship before the market closes, three at home and one away.

"We will have to suffer, like in all games. It has always been the strength of winning teams, respect the opponent. We need to do well when we have the ball and improve without the ball."

Allegri added he is yet to decide whether new winger Kostic will start on Monday following his move from Eintracht Frankfurt.

"Kostic is a player who crosses very well, he has arrived for two days and among other things he has been back and forth," Allegri said. "I still have to decide between him, [Weston] McKennie and [Juan] Cuadrado."

Rabiot and striker Moise Kean are not available for Juve's season-opener due to suspension, as the Bianconeri bid to improve on successive fourth-placed Serie A finishes.