Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 9y

Andrea Pirlo stepping up Juventus fitness race ahead of Roma clash

Juventus hope to have Andrea Pirlo back for their top-of-the-table Serie A clash with Roma next weekend after arranging a friendly to test the 35-year-old's fitness on Sunday.

Five weeks after picking up a hip injury during a preseason friendly tournament including Sassuolo and AC Milan, the midfielder -- who has been linked with a move to LA Galaxy by multiple sources -- was back on the field for an hour in a 4-2 victory over a Bergamese amateur team.

The Italy international is unlikely to be part of the Bianconeri squad to face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, although he could be back to face Roma at the Juventus Stadium in Sunday's headline league fixture.

Both sides have made perfect starts to the season, collecting 15 points from five games each. Even without Pirlo, Juve have scored 10 goals and not yet conceded in the league, also beating Malmo in Europe.

Kingsley Coman, Kwadwo Asamoah and Alvaro Morata also featured in Sunday's workout, each scoring a goal to give Allegri food for thought ahead of the two most important matches of Juve's season so far.

Asamoah, Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba have all filled the playmaker role so far this season, but a fully-fit Pirlo is likely to make the starting XI against the Giallorossi when one of the two league leaders' 100 percent records will have to come to an end.

It will also be Pirlo's one and only chance to prove his fitness for Italy's next round of Euro 2016 qualifiers, with Azzurri coach Antonio Conte set to name his squad next weekend to face Azerbaijan and Malta.

Conte -- who was Juve's coach up until this summer -- has already made it clear that Pirlo still has a future with the national team.

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