Antonio Conte has insisted his team will continue to focus on the task in hand as the championship campaign draws closer to its dramatic climax. The Bianconeri’s next fixture sees them make the trip to Bologna, where they will contest their game in hand after February’s encounter was postponed due to poor weather conditions. A win would put Juve level on points with the Rossoneri.

The 42-year-old began: “The game against Bologna is our next challenge, so it’s the most important as far as we’re concerned. It will be exactly the same for the encounter with Genoa.

“We’ll continue to give our maximum and we’ll see where it takes us come the end of the championship season.”

Just over two months remain until this season’s Serie A championship is wrapped up, and Conte moved to silence any potential voices of discontent by reflecting on the Bianconeri’s sensational performance so far.

“I can’t see why anyone should be down, given the extraordinary championship season we’re having.

“Up until now we’ve given our all and this has got us back to being competitive, feared and up against opponents who give 150% to try and beat us.

“So I see no reason to be depressed, on the contrary, there should be pride for what we’re doing.”

Recent injuries to Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini have forced Conte into reshuffling his defence for tomorrow night’s game. Whilst admitting it will be tough to replace the experienced international duo, the manager remains upbeat.

He continued: “Replacing Barzagli and Chiellini will be a test of strength for the entire team. Of course, I’d prefer to have the choice, but we have six defenders in the squad, two of them are injured, so the back four will be made up of Lichtsteiner, Caceres, Bonucci and De Ceglie. I’m certain they’ll play a great game, as will the rest of the side.”The press conference concluded with a number of questions concerning the current form of individuals, with Dutch winger Eljero Elia of particular interest. The 25-year-old international has seen little action since his summer arrival from Hamburg, but Conte believes it is just a matter of time before he is unleashed on Serie A defences.

“Elia is an attacking winger who prefers to play on the left-hand side,” he stated. “He’s developed greatly from when he first arrived in Italy. He was on the bench against Chievo and when this happens it means that a player is ready to come on. Elia is an ace up my sleeve; you’ll see when I decide to play that card. He can play in a 4-3-3, but it becomes more difficult to find a spot for him if we operate with a back three.”
Attentions then turned to Mirko Vucinic, prompting Conte to praise the Montenegrin’s contribution to the cause.

“Vucinic is the most talented individual we have in the squad,” he affirmed. “There are moments when he doesn’t quite manage to express himself to his best, but I’ve got great confidence in Mirko. He can be a fundamental player for us.”