Romelu Lukaku will not play again for Inter before going to the World Cup with Belgium, Simone Inzaghi has confirmed.

Lukaku's return to San Siro on loan this season has been disrupted by injury.

The Chelsea striker has been limited to just 255 minutes of action across five appearances in all competitions, starting three matches and scoring once.

Lukaku made his comeback from a thigh problem against Viktoria Plzen late last month but was quickly ruled out again.

Coach Inzaghi was initially hopeful Inter would see Lukaku before the Serie A season breaks for the World Cup, but he has now accepted defeat.

The Nerazzurri play Juventus on Sunday, then both Bologna and Atalanta next week.

Lukaku will hope to feature when Belgium begin their Qatar 2022 campaign against Canada on November 23.

Speaking ahead of the Derby d'Italia, Inzaghi said: "We will be without him, without [Danilo] D'Ambrosio and with [Alessandro] Bastoni to evaluate because he had a fever.

"It is normal for a coach to want to have all his weapons, but we know that playing so much there are difficulties in organising with all the team.

"Lukaku will do another test next week; unlike last time, I can say that I don't think he will be there for the last game.

"I'm sorry, because he worked so hard to be there. We will wait for him after the break, because we know he can give us a great hand."

Inter are sixth in Serie A and Juve eighth heading into Sunday's game, but Inzaghi does not believe their title hopes are on the line.

"We know how much it matters, but we also know that there are 25 games to go," he said. "In a week, there will be a break for the World Cup, and then there will be more than one round.

"We know how important it is, but also how long there is until the end. Tomorrow is very important for both [teams], yes."

Massimiliano Allegri will expect Juventus to take the "anger" of their Champions League failure on Inter when they do battle in the Derby d'Italia on Sunday.

A 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday made it five defeats from six Group H games for Juve, but they will move into the Europa League after finishing in third place.

Allegri stated he expects his players to use the fury of falling short in the Champions League as fuel for the remainder of the season, and a victory at the Allianz Stadium would move them above Inter.

The sixth-placed Nerazzurri, who head into the weekend two points better off than Juve, had already qualified for the Champions League before they were beaten 2-0 at Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Stats Perform picks out the standout Opta data to preview a showdown between two heavyweights of Italian football in Turin.

An upturn in Serie A fortunes for Juve

While Juve suffered another European loss in midweek, they have won three consecutive Serie A games without conceding a goal.

The last time they had four clean sheets in a row in the competition was in December 2018, when they won six matches in a row without conceding.

Allegri was also boosted by the return of long-term absentee Federico Chiesa from a knee injury as a substitute against PSG, a timely lift after it was revealed Paul Pogba will miss the World Cup. It remains to seen when Pogba will return.

Inter eyeing Derby d'Italia repeat

The Nerazzurri had won four consecutive games and gone seven without defeat before they came unstuck at Bayern.

Inter won three and drew one of four meetings between these two sides last season, beating the Bianconeri 1-0 away from home in Serie A in April.

They could win two Serie A meetings in a row against Juve for the first time since Alberto Zaccheroni was in charge in 2003-04, while the last time they won two such games in a single calendar year was back in 1987.

Juve building on strong foundations, youngsters doing their bit

While Juve have not started the season in the manner they would have liked, they have an excellent defensive record in Serie A.

In the top 10 European leagues this season, only Barcelona (four goals in 12 matches) and Benfica (five in 11) have conceded fewer goals than the seven Juve have shipped in 12 matches in the Italian top flight.

They also have the most players born since 2000 to be involved in at least one goal in Serie A this season with a total of five, with Dusan Vlahovic (seven), Moise Kean (one), Nicolo Fagioli (one), Fabio Miretti (one) and Samuel Iling-Junior (one) making their mark.

Inzaghi the scourge of Bianconeri

Inter's Simone Inzaghi has beaten Juventus seven times in 18 meetings in his coaching career, drawing twice. 

He has defeated the Bianconeri more times than any other coach since he took his first job in April 2016.

Inzaghi could become the second Inter coach to win two Serie A away matches against Juventus, after Helenio Herrera (three, between 1961 and 1965).

LaLiga has warned a fresh attempt to launch a European Super League will be offering only a rehashed version of the competition that launched and collapsed within days last year, leaving clubs humiliated.

The Spanish league is determined to fend off a new proposition for an elite league, and has warned it would "destroy" the existing structure of the domestic game.

In a statement, LaLiga pointed to a previous proposal from 2019, as well as the calamitous launching of the Super League last year that saw 12 teams agree to take part, before almost all pulled out in a hurry after a furious backlash from fans, politicians and football governing bodies.

It was revealed in October 2022 that A22 Sports Management – a company representing the Super League clubs – is planning to revive the proposals. Bernd Reichart, a media executive, has been appointed to head up the plans.

LaLiga said on Twitter on Friday: "The promoters of the Super League are now preparing a model similar to the one put forward in 2019, which is still closed or mostly closed, which will destroy the national leagues and which has already been rejected by clubs and leagues in Europe."

Spanish giants Barcelona are among the teams still keen on the idea of a new competition, with club president Joan Laporta last month saying it would be "more even" than the current system, claiming UEFA is not satisfactorily enforcing the ethos of financial fair play.

LaLiga published a video expressing its opposition to the Super League, in which it stated that "the whole of European football took a stand against its closed, selfish and elitist model".

"Now the promoters of the Super League are trying to conceal its format, claiming that they still don't have a fixed model although it will be an inclusive and open," LaLiga added.

"We know that this is false, and that they want to present a semi-closed format similar to 2019 which has already been rejected by the clubs and European leagues.

"This model is based on promotion and relegation between European divisions where the national leagues do not provide direct access to the top tier. On the contrary, they perpetuate the participation of a privileged few, even if they perform poorly in their domestic leagues.

"To be clear: anything less than any club earning its place in Europe's top flight through success in the domestic leagues will remain a closed or semi-closed model.

"We have also heard that the Super League wants to claim to be the saviour of football, saying that the current system no longer appeals to young people. Fake news. As an example, data shows that LaLiga's audience in Spain among those under the age of 24 has increased by more than 22 per cent in the last four seasons."

LaLiga also said research showed football's global fan base had risen by 3.4 per cent in the 16-29 age bracket, while stating TikTok metrics revealed 60 per cent of its mainly young audience consumes football content.

The statement from LaLiga said the Super League's promise of "a more exciting competition" would in reality mean "a constant stream of the same type of clashes, turning the extraordinary into the ordinary".

It warned such a competition "would destroy the ability to turn dreams into reality", denying smaller clubs than the cherry-picked elite the long-established pathway to competition at the highest level.

LaLiga, whose president Javier Tebas has been a vocal opponent of the proposed new competition, added: "The promoters of the Super League must respect the will of European fans and citizens, where the Council of Europe has already taken a position against the Super League and the European Parliament has defended an open, democratic model based on meritocracy."

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier was "proud" despite his team being astonishingly beaten to top spot in Champions League Group H by Benfica, an outcome that left captain Marquinhos frustrated.

Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Nuno Mendes at Juventus, either side of Leonardo Bonucci's equaliser, on Wednesday seemed to have Galtier's side on course to win the group courtesy of a 2-1 triumph.

However, Benfica scored five unanswered second-half goals at Maccabi Haifa to win 6-1, with Joao Mario's 92nd-minute effort snatching first place on away goals scored.

PSG and Benfica could not be separated by their head-to-head record, goals scored or conceded, making the away goals scored tie-breaker a Champions League first.

Finishing second means the Ligue 1 champions will face one of the group winners in the last 16, but Galtier generally seemed content, acknowledging how unusual and unfortunate it was to be pipped in such fashion.

"Of course, we have to value our campaign," he told reporters. "We beat Juventus twice, we got 14 points, we scored a lot of goals and in the end we finished second on the number of goals scored away from home, and that's how it is.

"But obviously I'm still very proud of my group, of my team in this group stage. We had a tough match, we knew we were going to have a difficult match, but we still managed to win, and then there is this scenario [Benfica scoring their sixth goal] that happens in the 92nd minute.

"Nobody could have imagined that. We finished second on the number of goals scored away from home. That's incredible."

But Marquinhos was rather more subdued as he struggled to hide his irritation despite claiming he was attempting to be optimistic.

"We're trying to take the positives out of it," he told reporters. "There were obviously two feelings, because we won against Juve in a difficult match, but we finished second, whereas the aim was to get this first place. Unfortunately, we didn't succeed.

"You have to look at the good aspects of things, there are good things to take away from this group stage, even if there are things to improve.

"In the Champions League, this first phase was important, but it is really played out in the second half of the season.

"That's when we have to perform well, be decisive, be good, because it's all about the end of the season."

Nevertheless, Marquinhos did value PSG's ability to see out an important win against a big club even though their performance was hardly spectacular.

"We have already seen teams win without necessarily being the best or playing the most beautiful football, but knowing how to be effective," he continued. "If we manage to be effective in these decisive moments, we can do great things.

"Even if there were difficult moments in this match, we managed to score and that unlocks a match. So, when we win a match like this, even if it wasn't our best game, we have to tell ourselves that it's important to know how to play like that too."

Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is expected to cost €100million if the undefeated Serie A leaders choose to sell at the end of the season.

Kvaratskhelia, 21, was with Rubin Kazan for three seasons before the Russian invasion of Ukraine halted their 2021-22 campaign, allowing the Georgia-born player to sign with Georgian club Dinamo Batumi.

Napoli scooped him up from Batumi for around €10m, and he has been in fine form since arriving in Italy. In 12 Serie A games, Kvaratskhelia has six goals and seven assists, while adding two goals and three assists in five Champions League matches.

A January sale has been ruled out, but if the club decide to cash-in on their shrewd piece of business, they could reportedly multiply their investment 10-fold.

TOP STORY – BREAKOUT NAPOLI YOUNGSTER SET TO COMMAND NINE-FIGURE FEE

According to Kvaratskhelia's agent Christian Emile in an interview with Fabrizio Romano, the Georgian sensation affectionately referred to as 'Kvaradona' by Napoli fans is one of the hottest names on the transfer market.

In the interview, reported by the London Evening Standard, Emile said there is "a zero per cent chance" he is sold in January as Napoli push for their first title since the 1989-90 season. 

However, he said "people are talking about €100m" when discussing Kvaratskhelia's value now, and if his form continues in this fashion the rest of the season, Emile added "he will reach €100m for sure".

The report names Liverpool and Chelsea as two of the key clubs known to have interest at this point.

ROUND-UP

– Mundo Deportivo is reporting Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan – who is out of contract at the end of the season – is a target for Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. 

– According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United have made Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham their top target.

– Eden Hazard could leave Real Madrid in January, per Mundo Deportivo, with Juventus named as a club interested in the 31-year-old.

– Media Foot is reporting United are "seriously considering" a move for 33-year-old Bayern Munich forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, but they will not be making any significant purchases in January.

– According to L'Equipe, Lionel Messi does not want to leave Paris Saint-Germain without winning "a major trophy", and is considering extending his contract beyond this season.

Massimiliano Allegri has urged Juventus to use anger at their Champions League failure as motivation to succeed in the Europa League.

A 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Turin saw Juve become only the second Italian side to lose five of six group stage matches in the competition, after Roma in 2004-05 – though their elimination had already been confirmed.

Juve required a victory to cement their spot in the knockout stages of the Europa League but ultimately must be thankful to Benfica for firing five second-half goals against Maccabi Haifa to prevent the Allegri's side from exiting continental football entirely.

In the Europa League, Juve will be considered to be among the favourites to go all the way and Allegri has urged his side to use their anger to propel them to better results in UEFA's second-tier club competition.

"We played a good game, it's a shame about the result," he told reporters after the defeat.

"We are in the Europa League, from tomorrow we must turn the page for the championship. We must be angry and immediately resume work and walk.

"On one hand there is reason to be satisfied to have reached the Europa League, on the other hand there is anger for the elimination from the Champions League.

"I'm still very angry and we have to carry this anger inside us in the next games in Europe."

One positive from the defeat to PSG was the return of Federico Chiesa from injury, who had not featured since January, though his recovery will not be rushed.

"He has a lot of desire, he must be managed until the World Cup. We have to take time to have him in the best condition in January," Allegri added.

Kylian Mbappe conceded Paris Saint-Germain did not do enough to top their Champions League group, which Benfica topped in dramatic circumstances on Wednesday.

Goals from Mbappe and Nuno Mendes at Juventus, either side of Leonardo Bonucci's equaliser, seemed to have Christophe Galtier's side on course to top Group H courtesy of a 2-1 triumph.

However, Benfica scored five unanswered second-half goals at Maccabi to win 6-1, the latter of which from Joao Mario in the 92nd minute snatched top spot on away goals scored.

For the first instance in Champions League history, PSG and Benfica could not be separated by their head-to-head record, goals scored or conceded, though Mbappe suggested his side should have done more.

"During the match, we did not know, but in the end they tried to warn us" the World Cup-winning forward told RMC Sport.

"But that was the end, it doesn't matter, we qualified. We came to do the work, that's not enough, we'll watch the draw and we'll play to win."

Galtier pinpointed PSG's 7-2 win over Maccabi on matchday five as a warning sign and lamented the fine margins that saw his side finish second.

"When we were winning 7-2 last week, we stopped playing at the 90th minute," he told Canal+. "We conceded too many goals during the group stage from set-pieces, as we did against Maccabi.

"If we'd conceded one goal fewer, we would have finished top of the group."

PSG failed to top their Champions League group for a second straight season after finishing first in each of the previous four, but Galtier insisted his side have still performed well in Europe's top competition.

"We could consider everything. We knew this possibility. Congratulations to Benfica, who scored more away goals than us," he added.

"Afterwards, I congratulate my team and my group. We had a good group. We scored a lot of goals. That's the history of the Champions League. This competition is sometimes irrational and we saw that.

"We had an exceptional journey. We've beaten Juventus twice and we were very happy until the 92nd minute.

"But if you want to go far in this competition, you have to beat big teams. Let's wait for the draw and see who we get in the last 16."

Super-sub Nuno Mendes scored the winner for Paris Saint-Germain in a 2-1 victory against Juventus, though it was not enough to clinch top spot in Group H.

Kylian Mbappe fired home to open the scoring but his goal was cancelled out by Leonardo Bonucci's equaliser before the break in a tight encounter in Turin on Wednesday.

PSG looked to have secured progress to the last 16 as group winners, though, when Mendes changed the picture midway through the second half.

However, a remarkable result for Benfica against Maccabi Haifa saw the Portuguese side score the six goals they required to pull level on goal difference with PSG and snatch top spot courtesy of away goals scored.

PSG's quality showed after 20 minutes when Mbappe latched onto Lionel Messi's pass, nutmegged Frederico Gatti and drilled in off the right-hand post for his seventh Champions League goal of the season.

Yet PSG were pegged back five minutes before the break – Bonucci sliding in to meet Juan Cuadrado's diving header and convert from close range.

Chances continued to be hard to come by for both teams after the restart until the 69th minute, when Mbappe fed through substitute Mendes, who finished crisply across Wojciech Szczesny.

Manuel Locatelli saw a goal correctly disallowed for offside and Federico Chiesa – making his long-awaited return from injury as a substitute – had a penalty appeal waved away as Juve's comeback attempts proved fruitless.

Juve were at least saved the embarrassment of an exit from European football entirely thanks to Benfica's win in Israel, and the Bianconeri will fight for a place in the last 16 of the Europa League in the new year.

Salzburg will have to do what no other Austrian side has done before at Milan to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, while Jude Bellingham has his eyes on an achievement managed by only two players previously.

The Rossoneri need only a point from the game at San Siro and the historical facts suggest they will achieve their aim to make it out of Group E.

For Bellingham, he can put his name in the record books alongside former team-mate Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe by scoring for Borussia Dortmund at Copenhagen.

There is plenty to play for as the Champions League group stage wraps up on Wednesday, and Stats Perform has trawled through the data to shine a light on the most interesting angles.

Milan v Salzburg

With a win, Salzburg will advance to the knockout stages for the second consecutive season after never making it out of the group stage previously.

They will need to defy the odds on their trip to Milan, where the Italian side are undefeated in home fixtures against Austrian opponents in the competition (W4 D1), while averaging 3.8 goals per game.

Salzburg have never beaten Milan in their three previous Champions League meetings, but after losing the first two, they collected their first point with a 1-1 draw in this campaign's reverse fixture.

While Olivier Giroud became the oldest player in Champions League history to reach 20 goals (36 years old) during Milan's win at Dinamo Zagreb last time out, Salzburg boast the youngest starting XI in the competition with an average age of 22 years and 279 days.

Shakhtar Donetsk v RB Leipzig

Shakhtar have only won one game in the group stage, but sit three points behind second-placed. A win would see them through to the knockout stages for the third time in the past four seasons.

The reverse-fixture was a memorable one for Shakhtar and exciting young winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who showed why he is so in-demand with a goal and two assists in a 4-1 away win.

Unfortunately for the Ukrainian side, that was their only victory from their past 12 Champions League matches (D6 L5).

Meanwhile, Leipzig have found some form in the competition, with back-to-back victories against Celtic before making it three wins in a row when they beat Real Madrid 3-2.

Manchester City v Sevilla

City are eyeing an undefeated group stage when they host Sevilla, having only conceded one goal in total from their five games until this point.

English sides have given Sevilla trouble for years now, with their last Champions League win over a Premier League team coming back in 2007 against Arsenal. 

If Jorge Sampaoli's side are to stand any chance of a shock win, they will need to pay special attention to Jack Grealish, who has impressed in the group stage with 10 chances created from open play, the most in Pep Guardiola's squad.

Maccabi Haifa v Benfica

If Juventus can salvage even a draw in their clash with Paris Saint-Germain, then Benfica will be able to win Group H by defeating Maccabi Haifa.

It has been a special run of form for Benfica, who for the first time since 1990 have gone six Champions League games without a loss (W3 D3).

Maccabi will have their backs against the wall, as only Malmo have a worse winning percentage (17 per cent) than their 24 per cent among teams to have played at least 15 Champions League games.

Also working in Benfica's favour is manager Roger Schmidt's record in the competition. Between his time with Bayer Leverkusen (2014-2017) and Benfica in this campaign, his run of 13 games unbeaten is the most by any active manager qualified for this season's Champions League.

Other fixtures:

Juventus v Paris Saint-Germain

5  - Juventus are looking to avoid becoming the second Italian side to ever lose five matches in a Champions League group stage, after Roma in 2004-05.

6  - Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe has six goals in the group stage. With one more he can tie Christopher Nkunku (last season) for the most by a French player in a single group stage, while with two more he can tie Zlatan Ibrahimovic's club-record of eight in 2013-14.

Copenhagen v Borussia Dortmund

60  - Despite Copenhagen still being without a win in Group G, they have kept a clean sheet in 60 per cent (nine-of-15) of their Champions League home games – the best ratio of any team with at least 10 appearances.

3  - With a goal, Bellingham can become just the third teenager to ever score in all three away games in a Champions League group stage, following Mbappe (2017-18) and Haaland (2019-20).

Chelsea v Dinamo Zagreb

10  - Chelsea are undefeated in their past 10 group stage games in the Champions League dating back to September 2019 (W6 D4). Over that period, they are averaging 2.3 goals per game.

10  - Along with City's Grealish, Chelsea's Mason Mount is the only other Premier League player from this Champions League campaign to tally at least 10 shots and 10 chances created.

Real Madrid v Celtic

20  - Since the beginning of last season's Champions League, no player has been involved in more open-play sequences that have resulted in a goal than Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior (20).

14  - Celtic's Matt O'Riley has attempted the most shots in the Champions League this season without scoring, with no goals from his 14 shots.

Jude Bellingham has plenty of admirers following his outstanding performances this season for Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham is contracted with Dortmund until 2025 and the eight-time German champions are eager to ward off interest in him.

The 19-year-old midfielder has scored nine goals in 19 appearances in all competitions this term.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL LOOK TO INJURED LEIPZIG MIDFIELDER FOR REINFORCEMENTS

Borussia Dortmund may demand a Premier League-record fee of £130million (€151m) for Jude Bellingham, claims The Sun.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Liverpool are all looking to secure the playmaker's services.

It had previously been expected that the Premier League clubs would bid around £87m (€100m) for Bellingham.

Manchester City's £100m-plus signing of Jack Grealish remains the most a Premier League club has forked out for a transfer fee.

ROUND-UP

– Fichajes claim Chelsea are in pole position in the race to sign Juventus' midfielder Adrien Rabiot. The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of this season and was linked with Manchester United in the last window.

– David de Gea is willing to accept reduced terms to extend his stay with Manchester United, according to The Athletic. The Spanish goalkeeper's current contract expires at the end of this season.

– Uruguay international winger Facundo Pellistri is set to leave Manchester United in January, claims Nicolo Schira, with some interest from Spanish and Italian clubs.

– Tottenham are weighing up a January move for Atalanta forward Ruslan Malinovskyi, reports Il Giorno.

– CBS Sports claims Everton and Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Chelsea's 21-year-old striker Armando Broja.

Christophe Galtier feels Juventus have been "deprived of their best players" this season as his Paris Saint-Germain side prepare to face them in the UEFA Champions League.

The French outfit will look to end their Group H campaign on a high note, locked in a battle with Benfica to take top spot heading into the last-16.

It has been a dire season on the continent for Juventus, however, who could crash out of Europe entirely if they fail to get a result and Maccabi Haifa do on Wednesday.

Galtier thinks that no matter the effort that Massimiliano Allegri's side have put in this season, they were always going to come up short without several of their biggest stars.

"Juventus lack success because they have never had their first-choice team available," he stated. "When you have world-class players, like Paul Pogba or Federico Chiesa missing, you are quickly weakened and diminished.

"Even with temperament and desire, you need players who have experience and international class. Juventus have been deprived of their best players this season."

With their superstar squad arguably in greater sync than they have ever been, PSG are hoping to finally claim the Champions League crown this term, two years on from coming up short against Bayern Munich.

Galtier is aware of the anticipation to end their European hoodoo, noting: "There is a lot of expectation around Paris Saint-Germain. It is normal, when you see how our squad is made up.

"We have world-class players, with a lot of experience. But it is a trophy that is very difficult to win. We hope it will be this year. There is a lot of hope, a lot of expectation, but we are doing everything possible to win one day."

Sergio Ramos has described the prospect of returning to Luis Enrique's Spain squad for the World Cup as a "dream" after enjoying a strong start to the season with Paris Saint-Germain.

Ramos has won an incredible 180 caps for Spain – more than any other player in the country's history – and has played at each of the past four World Cups.

However, the defender was left out of Luis Enrique's squad for Euro 2020 after an injury-plagued final season with Real Madrid, and only made eight Ligue 1 starts in his first campaign with PSG.

Having already made 10 league starts this season, Ramos is targeting a first international appearance since March 2021 against Kosovo and believes he will play at the highest level for several more years.

"Everyone knows what it means to me to defend the colours of my country," Ramos said at a news conference ahead of PSG's Champions League fixture against Juventus on Wednesday.

"After a difficult season, I feel good again, I'm playing again and I'm available. I still hope to return to the selection, and I dream of the World Cup. 

"But we have to wait and continue to play at the best level to convince the coach. I hope I will have the chance to play in another World Cup.

"Last year was difficult. I was injured, I had to adapt after spending most of my career at Real. At no time did I think it was the end of my career. It was a challenge. 

"Last year is forgotten. There have been changes and I'm happy, I'm totally adapted to Paris and I'm hungry for titles. 

"If I think it is over, I will stay at home to take care of my children, but I think I can last a few more years at the best level in football."

Ramos became the first player in PSG's history to remain unbeaten through their first 30 appearances for the club with Saturday's 4-3 win over Troyes, a game in which Lionel Messi scored his seventh league goal of the season.

Like Ramos, Messi appears to have hit his stride at the perfect time with the World Cup just around the corner, and the defender says he is fortunate to have him as a team-mate.  

"My relationship with Messi is excellent," Ramos added. "We can see on the field. There is great respect between the players and a good state of mind.

"Messi is always at the top level. He continues to be one of the most decisive players in the world. It's a privilege to have him in our team. I see him very focused, like last year. 

"Maybe he has the World Cup in the back of his mind, but he's focused on being good on the pitch."

Juan Cuadrado is struggling to sleep because of Juventus' poor Champions League form, but the versatile winger is determined to at least qualify for the Europa League.

Juve were eliminated from UEFA's primary club competition with a game to go – at home to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday – following a 4-3 loss to Benfica last week.

The Italian giants have lost four group matches for the first time in their history and are only above Group H's bottom side Maccabi Haifa on goal difference.

Massimiliano Allegri's men must therefore match or better the Israeli side's result against Benfica if they are to drop into the Europa League via the backdoor.

Either way, it has been a humbling experience for the two-time European champions after missing out on the knockout stages for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.

"We have played some good matches," Cuadrado said ahead of facing PSG. "When you play well and don't win, there are no questions.

"But there is time to improve further. It's difficult to sleep when certain things happen, but they did happen. We have the strength of a good team here.

"We know this is an important match for us because we are playing for qualification for the Europa League."

Juve are looking to avoid becoming only the second Italian side to lose five Champions League matches in a single group-stage campaign after Roma in the 2004-05 season.

Cuadrado has started 15 games for Juve in all competitions this season, including all five European games – only Danilo (16) has started more regularly.

The Colombia international, who is expected to feature at the World Cup, has spent seven years in Turin but is set to be out of contract at the end of the campaign.

"I'm happy to be here. I feel like this team is my family," he said. "I've almost spent my entire career as a professional here and am grateful to Juventus. 

"As for my future, I try to move forward in order to do the best for the team and then we will see."

Massimiliano Allegri says there is no point in dwelling on the absence of Paul Pogba after the Juventus midfielder was ruled out of the World Cup.

It was announced on Monday that Pogba will play no part in France's bid to retain their title in Qatar due to a knee injury.

Pogba has not played a competitive game for Juve since returning to the Serie A club as a free agent in July after his Manchester United contract expired.

The 29-year-old underwent surgery last month and although he recently returned to training, he must now undergo further rehabilitation.

Bianconeri head coach Allegri says Pogba has been sorely missed, but felt it had looked increasingly unlikely he could play in the World Cup.

He said: "It is useless to repeat what has already been said: once the decision was made not to have an operation at the beginning of the season, it was normal for the hopes that he could return with Juventus and France. They were reduced to a flicker.

"He is sorry for Juventus and the World Cup, it is normal, we have been penalised for not having him available."

Juve will also be without Weston McKennie and Dusan Vlahovic when they face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday due to injury.

Allegri revealed he is hopeful striker Vlahovic will return against Inter on Sunday, with Angel Di Maria and Gleison Bremer also set to be back for that Serie A match

The Turin giants will attempt to secure a Europa League spot when they face Group G leaders PSG at Allianz Stadium, while fourth-placed Maccabi Haifa are also in the hunt for third place when they take on Benfica. 

Allegri expects his players to use the anger of being knocked out of the Champions League to drive them up the Serie A table.

He said: "I'm angry, not comparing with the best from March onwards creates anger. It has to give us incentives, it has to create a reaction, but we think about the championship after the matches with Inter, Verona and Lazio.

"It is normal that the matches in the Champions League, as results, they are very bad and this shows the results in the league in a more negative way. But we will think about the championship from the day after tomorrow."

Paul Pogba will miss France's World Cup campaign, the Juventus midfielder's agent has confirmed.

The 29-year-old, who was a member of Didier Deschamps' triumphant squad at Russia 2018, had been expected to figure once more for Les Bleus if fit.

But having returned to Turin from Manchester United during the close season, Pogba has struggled with a knee injury, with delayed surgery keeping him stuck on the sidelines.

Now, the player's agent Rafaela Pimenta says he will not return to either domestic duty with Juventus, nor make the plane to Qatar with France, in what is one of the biggest injury blows ahead of the tournament.

"Following yesterday and today's medical review in Torino and Pittsburgh, it is extremely painful to [say] Paul Pogba will still need recovery time from his surgery," Pimenta told Telefoot on Monday.

"For this reason, Paul will not be able to join [the] Juventus squad before the World Cup break, nor the French national team in Qatar. If wishful thinking would change things, Paul would be playing tomorrow.

"But what changes things are hard work, resilience and discipline, all of which are the only things in Paul's mind [during] these challenging times.

"Paul will continue working [and] giving his very best to be back on the pitch for the fans and his team as soon as possible."

Less than three weeks out from the World Cup, Juventus also provided an update on the fitness of injured United States midfielder Weston McKennie.

"Weston McKennie underwent radiological examinations at J|Medical which showed muscular overload in the rectus femoris of the right thigh," the statement read. "His condition will be evaluated daily."

France begin their World Cup defence against Australia on November 22, before facing Denmark and Tunisia in their other two Group D matches.