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The 2021-22 Serie A season saw Juventus endure the unlikeliest of circumstances. The defending champions were seen scrambling for UEFA Champions League qualification, with their extraordinary nine-year run as Serie A champions coming to an end.
Juventus legend Andrea Pirlo failed to inspire them to league success and had a disappointing run in last season's Champions League as well. However, the Bianconeri bagged silverware in domestic cup competitions, winning the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana.
Juventus going through a transition in Serie A
It feels like Juventus are currently going through a rough period of transition, with Inter dominating Serie A last season. Repeated changes in managers have not helped their cause in recent years either. Former manager Massimiliano Allegri has been re-appointed at the helm and Juventus will now be looking to regain their Serie A supremacy.
While players Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala could inspire them to success, we take a look at some players that the Turin club should scarcely use this season.
Without further delay, let's get straight into it:
#5 Daniele Rugani
Once regarded as the long-term successor to lead Juventus' defense, Daniele Rugani has been pushed into oblivion. An unsuccessful spell with Rennes in Ligue 1 saw him return to Juventus last season, followed by another loan spell with Cagliari in Serie A. The latter must have given him a boost in terms of confidence, but he still faces an uphill task to revive his Juventus career this season.
The Italian will have to compete with his fellow countrymen Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, both starring in this summer's Euros. To add to the competition, Matthijs de Ligt is ahead of him in the pecking order. Rugani will find gametime hard to come by with such established names ahead of him, and could only have a sporadic role to play this season.
#4 Federico Bernardeschi
After a promising start to his career with Juventus, Federico Bernardeschi and his hype have quickly fizzled out. The glimpses of early promise were very encouraging, but were halted by a knee injury. Since then, the former Fiorentina man has looked off-pace and inconsistent, failing to break into the team for regular minutes in Serie A.
Under former manager Andrea Pirlo, the Italian played all over the pitch in unfavorable positions, sometimes as a wing-back. With the emergence of youngsters like Weston McKennie and the in-form Federico Chiesa, it looks highly unlikely that the 27-year old could feature more under Allegri.
Contract talks with Paulo Dybala have also signified that Bernardeschi is further down the pecking order and could only be a squad player for Juventus this term.
#3 Mattia De Sciglio
Juventus rely heavily on their full-backs and the Serie A giants are currently stacked in that department. Right-back Mattia De Sciglio has returned to Juventus after a loan spell with Ligue 1 side Lyon and would ideally want to impress Allegri for regular involvement in Serie A.
The competition for places at right-back is severely intense at Juventus. Allegri is expected to choose Juan Cuadrado as first-choice, with Danilo giving the Colombian close competition in Serie A. This could force Allegri to make some tough decisions and Di Sciglio could become a casualty in the process.
Undoubtedly, 28-year-old Di Sciglio is in a tough spot and remains unlikely to feature prominently for Juventus in Serie A this season.
#2 Aaron Ramsey
It's been a rollercoaster second season for Aaron Ramsey at Juventus after a decent debut campaign where he won the Serie A title. The Welshman's time with Juventus has been riddled with injuries, inconsistent form and a struggle to fit into the playing style deployed by managers. Although Ramsey can play the odd game in central midfield, his real strength lies further up the field.
The former Arsenal midfielder failed to nail down a starting role under Maurizio Sarri and Pirlo as they tinkered with their formations. And with Allegri in charge now, Ramsey could still fail to find regular game time.
He'll be in direct competition with Paulo Dybala for the number 10 role, while Juventus are also stacked in the center of the park.
There are also persistent rumors surrounding Ramsey's future at Juventus, with the Serie A giants interested in luring Miralem Pjanic back to Turin.
#1 Rodrigo Bentancur
After a move from Boca Juniors in 2017, it's safe to say that Rodrigo Bentancur has not been able to fully live up to his potential. A slow start to his life in Serie A saw him compete against Miralem Pjanic for minutes.
But the following season saw the Uruguayan come into his own and show glimpses of his talent, being used in various roles in midfield. While it showcased his tactical versatility, this was probably the reason why he failed to reach his best.
Performing a variety of roles under all his managers in Sarri, Pirlo and Allegri derailed his growth and did not give him a chance to develop in a fixed role. Coming into the new season he faces stiff competition from new signing Manuel Locatelli. The injured duo of Arthur and Adrien Rabiot will be back soon as well to make things tricky for the Uruguayan.
Despite Bentancur being a regular within the first team at Juventus over the last couple of seasons, that could change this term. The midfielder's slack back pass initiated a dramatic exit to Porto in the Champions League last season and Juventus will be desperate to steer clear of such calamity.
With other reliable options in the middle of the park, Bentacur could witness a considerable reduction in his playing time.
