Weston McKennie will start for Juventus in their Serie A clash against Napoli on Saturday, head coach Massimiliano Allegri said on Friday after the midfielder made an early return to Italy after violating COVID-19 protocols while with the U.S. men’s national team.
“McKennie is fine and he will be in the starting XI,” said Allegri at a press conference ahead of the game, adding that they have the ideal line-up for the game.
The 23-year-old had returned to action for the national team as they started the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He started in their 0-0 draw with El Salvador, but days later it was reported that he was dropped from the team for their next game against Canada.
Prior to the USMNT’s third game against Honduras, U.S. Soccer announced that he would play no further part for the team during the recently concluded cycle and had returned to Italy.
As for the Bianconeri, they will be looking to get their Serie A campaign off the ground this weekend after earning a single point from their first two games.
McKennie will try to make an impact in this game as he only played 45 minutes in their shock 1-0 loss to Empoli.
