Juventus manager Thiago Motta has rallied his team to ‘give something more’ following the potentially season-ending injury to defender Gleison Bremer. The Brazilian, who had been a mainstay in the team’s defense, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during their midweek Champions League victory over RB Leipzig. This setback comes as a significant blow to Juventus, who had already been dealing with several other absences.
Despite the challenges, Motta remains confident in his team’s ability to overcome adversity. He highlighted Bremer’s importance, both on and off the pitch, and expressed his belief that the team would find a way to compensate for his absence. “Gleison is an important player for us. I’m very sorry for the boy, because already, humanly speaking he is fantastic, technically I don’t need to say it, we all know it,” Motta shared in a press conference ahead of Juventus’s upcoming game against Cagliari. “From now on we will all give something more, also because if it had been another teammate who had to stop like that, I am convinced that he would have taken this responsibility to give something more every day.”
Beyond Bremer, Motta also faces the absence of Timothy Weah, Nicolas Gonzalez, Vasilije Adzic, and the long-term absentee Arkadius Milik. However, he expressed unwavering confidence in his players’ capacity to adapt and perform at a high level. “Whoever comes in, I am convinced they will give something more,” Motta stated. “Always thinking about the well-being of the team and giving a good performance to obtain the positive result which is what we want to do. “Tomorrow, in our stadium, our home, in front of our fans, a full ground, a great football atmosphere and we will do our job well from the first to the last minute.”
Juventus’s recent performance in Europe, where they recovered from a two-goal deficit and a red card to their goalkeeper, has fueled Motta’s optimism. He believes that the team can maintain their newfound enthusiasm without becoming complacent. “The enthusiasm, used well, is always good, and we use it to work,” Motta explained. “We use it to come to the pitch every day and do our job well. This is the great advantage of being able to work with enthusiasm. “It helps and we want to maintain that enthusiasm but it only depends on us. We will always have our feet on the ground, aware of our strengths, and using our strengths in the right way.”
While the return of French midfielder Paul Pogba looms following a reduced doping ban, Motta remains focused on the immediate future of his team. “On Paul Pogba, the club will evaluate what to do,” Motta said. “As for me, Pogba has been a great player, who hasn’t played for a long time. Now I’m focused on tomorrow’s game and everything else doesn’t matter much to me at this moment.”
Juventus will be looking to maintain their positive momentum in Serie A as they face Cagliari at home on Sunday. The team’s resilience and determination will be tested as they navigate the remainder of the season without their injured star defender.
