Juventus v Maccabi Haifa preview

Ferrara: Under pressure to gain first win

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Juventus will be looking to get their first UEFA Champions League win of the season at the third time of asking when they host Maccabi Haifa.

The Old Lady have drawn their opening two games in Group A against Bordeaux and Bayern Munich and currently sit third in the table.

Ciro Ferrara's men opened the season with four successive league wins but since then the Turin giants have failed to win in their last six Serie A and Champions League games.

Ferrara is cautious not to underestimate Maccabi despite their indifferent start to this season's competition.

Maccabi must win on Wednesday if they are to have any realistic hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages having lost 3-0 to Bayern on match day one and 1-0 to Bordeaux last time out.

Team news

Juventus will be without talisman Alessandro Del Piero for the clash with an adductor strain.

The forward has returned to training having been out of action for the past few weeks but the game has come too soon for the Italian.

Midfielder Claudio Marchisio has also returned to training following knee surgery but is not considered to be available for selection until next month at the earliest.

Juve will also be without midfielders Hasan Salihamidzic and Tiago through injury but former Liverpool man Mohamed Sissoko returned to the first-team for the 1-1 draw with Fiorentina at the weekend.

The midfielder has been out for up to seven months with a fractured foot but came through the game on Saturday unscathed so should start alongside Felipe Melo in the heart of the Juve midfield against Maccabi.

Defender Eyal Meshumar and midfielder John Culma returned from injury for Maccabi at the weekend and both are available for selection.

Eyal Golasa is out with a hip injury while midfielder Biram Kayal is suspended for two games.

Captain Yaniv Katan is out of contention with a suspected flu virus while Amir Edri is still out. Tsepo Masilela and Shlomi Arbeitman are doubtful.