Allegri issues Ronaldo warning

Max Allegri hailed Cristiano Ronaldo for ‘raising the bar’ at Juventus ahead of facing Lazio but warned he was not afraid of benching the No 7.

“Yes. There will only be a few changes before the international break,” replied the Coach to a question about whether Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic could play with the Portuguese.

“There will also be a very hot atmosphere tomorrow so everyone will be needed, even those who enter during the game.

“For example, the wing is more covered with Douglas Costa, but we also know what can happen with CR7 there.

“I have to make a decision on Matuidi today. He’s in good shape and he always runs. He came in late last season but immediately made us understand what he could give us.

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“Changes will depend on the moment, our state and our opponents. From September 16 we’ll be playing every three days, so the changes will be natural.

“However, decisions must be made and only winning counts. If you win, every decision you make is a good one but they’re never fully accepted.

“I’ll decide on Dybala today. The game against Chievo had been one-way traffic, but then there was Cancelo’s mistake, which was an individual error.

“Just beating Chievo was enough. If we went 3-0 up after half an hour, it wouldn’t have worked out well.

“Ronaldo always puts himself in contention. He’s a true champion, who has built himself with work and sacrifice. He’s a good example and he raises the bar here.

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“Ronaldo will never be on the bench, right? No, it can happen.”