Juventus moved into second position in Serie A with a 2-0 win over Cremonese on Sunday, but Paul Pogba missed his first competitive start in almost a year due to an injury.
Nicolo Fagioli and Gleison Bremer scored key goals to put Juventus three points clear of third-placed Inter Milan and boost their chances of playing in the Champions League next season.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team leads AC Milan in fifth place by eight points, but their top-four dreams are dependent on a tribunal decision on alleged illegal transfer activities later this month.
Last month Juventus had a 15-point deduction inflicted in January revoked, with Italy’s top sporting court asking the Italian Football Federation’s court of appeal to revise their original decision.
There is the serious risk of a new points punishment which could knock them out of the top four.
It has been a turbulent season for Juventus and no-one has more personified that more than Pogba, who was substituted 23 minutes into Sunday’s match in Turin and left the field with his jersey covering his face to hide his dismay.
He had pulled up in agony after putting in a routine cross before sinking to the turf and getting on-pitch treatment on his left thigh.
“We’re all disappointed, not least because he was playing quite well. It’s said because he’s made a lot of sacrifices to come back,” said Allegri to DAZN.
“Paul is a man… he has big enough shoulders. There’s always a risk when you’ve gone a year without playing, more so when you start the match.”
Pogba has missed a huge chunk of the season following his return from Manchester United last summer after suffering a serious injury to his right knee pre-season.
He initially elected to not to go under the knife in a bid to make the World Cup in Qatar.
However, despite later changing his mind, Pogba didn’t recover in time to play for France who lost their crown as world champions in a thrilling final with Argentina.