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As the 2019/20 campaign was brought to a necessary halt, Juventus had just returned to the Serie A summit. A run of the mill 2-0 victory over title challengers Inter was enough to leapfrog Lazio into top spot, and on paper, the Turin club was on course to lift an incredible ninth successive Scudetto.

But despite the old adage, the league title does occasionally lie.

Juve’s crown had never felt so close to slipping as it did at the start of March, as a seemingly unstoppable Lazio edged to within one point of the misfiring Bianconeri. There was a growing sensation that, for the first time in nine years, the Scudetto would not be returning to Turin, but to Rome.

But the Old Lady’s current reign at the top of Italian football is the longest she has ever enjoyed, and over the course of the last eight successes, Juventus fans have witnessed some of the greatest players and lineups to have ever graced their turf.

Despite their domestic dominance however, this generation of stars pales in comparison to the glorious team of the 1990s – arguably one of the greatest to have ever been put together, even if the trophy cabinet doesn’t quite prove it.

As with many periods of dominance and superiority, it was kickstarted by years of being second-best and off the pace. Milan were the team to beat in the late 1980s, as Arrigo Sacchi’s revolutionary new methods were changing the landscape of Italian football, and the likes of Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard were taking the league by force.

So there was possibly more blind hope than expectation when Marcello Lippi arrived in Turin in 1994, having impressively led Napoli to European qualification the season prior. But his impact in the 1994/95 campaign was instant, landing I Bianconeri’s first domestic title since 1986 during his first season at the club.

In fairness, he did adopt a pretty stunning team. The lineup was littered with talent and industry, with the likes of Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Baggio providing the glitz and glamour, while Antonio Conte and Didier Deschamps did the dirty work – and excellently, too.

And then of course, there was a young, precocious and simply unstoppable Alessandro Del Piero learning his trade at that time. Not bad tools for Lippi to toy around with, then.

Back at the top of the tree, Juventus clearly planned on staying there, and now that Lippi had his feet under the table, there seemed to be little that could stop this new force in Serie A. However, I Bianconeri surrendered the league title in their attempted defence, as Milan bounced back to regain their status as Italy’s top dogs.

But it was in that very season, that Lippi delivered something even more precious and prestigious to the Juventus faithful. In 1996, the Italian giants lifted the Champions League trophy, only their second success in the competition, and the first since its change of format.

Having qualified top of their group, Juve fought off Real Madrid and Nantes on their way to the final, where they had to do battle with reigning champions, Ajax. It was a hard-fought final, and I Bianconeri had to go all the way to penalties after a 1-1 draw, but they dug deep and came out victors at the Stadio Olimpico.

Juventus were now the champions of Europe, and Lippi could see a dynasty of success ahead of him. This team was set to be remembered as one of the greatest in history. But it wasn’t to be.

Nowadays, it is often overlooked, and in some corners of the earth, even mocked for the misery and heartbreak they would endure over the coming years.

I Bianconeri were progressive thinkers and were keen not to be left behind, and they opted to build on their position of strength. Christian Vieri and Zinedine Zidane were added to their ranks, and these improvements proved vital, as they toppled Milan once more to claim the Scudetto

It was a team which was able to control games, dominate opponents and blow them away with moments of individual and collective magic, becoming one of the most balanced and effective sides in football history.

Their unshakeable confidence from being European winners led them back to the brink of Champions League glory in 1997, but that belief quickly drained in a painful final defeat.

The team froze on the evening of the final, Zidane was unable to break free of the shackles that was Paul Lambert, and the reigning champions succumbed to a 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund.

It was a gut-wrenching blow – and one that would feel all too familiar in 12 months time, too. Juve did not rest on their laurels however, and having established themselves as one of the most attractive opportunities in Europe, they secured deals for the born-goalscorer Pippo Inzaghi and Dutch superstar Edgar Davids.

Lippi had created a squad capable of physically crushing any opponent while simultaneously playing them off the park, and they romped home to another Serie A glory. And incredibly, this brilliant side reached a third consecutive Champions League final, and they were desperate to put the previous year’s pain behind them.

Unfortunately, lightning struck twice, and despite boasting the devastating strike partnership of Del Piero and Inzaghi, with Zidane orchestrating behind the duo, they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the 1998 final.

It seemed that this final blow eventually burst the bubble in Turin and brought and end to this winning cycle, and Lippi’s time with the club ended midway through the following season, where they would go on to finish seventh in the 1998/99 table.

But for the majority of the 1990s, this Juventus team was greater than anyone put before them. And if not for two isolated results in two separate years, they would be revered as one of the grandest to ever take to the field.

Watford manager Nigel Pearson has confirmed that two more players at the club have been forced to self-isolate after coming into contact with somebody who has tested positive for coronavirus.

Defender Adrian Mariappa recently revealed that he had been diagnosed with the virus, despite abiding by lockdown regulations, while two other members of the non-playing staff have also tested positive.

Speaking on Friday, Pearson revealed (via The Guardian) that his squad had been further depleted, although there has been no additional diagnoses as of yet.

“They’re not, no,” he said when asked whether every player was back in training. “One through testing positive, two more through being in contact with somebody else, and the others because they decided not to come in.

“The regulations [state] that people who have had relatively close contact with other people have to go into isolation – in the same way as someone who has tested positive.”

To try and protect players, the Premier League have increased the number of coronavirus tests at every club from 40 to 50 per day, but Pearson revealed that Watford are doing their own tests on the side to try and stay as safe as possible.

“What the Premier League are doing is one thing and they’ve moved the number from 40 to 50,” Pearson said. “Today they tested 50 but on top of that we’re testing more staff and family members. We will complement what the Premier League are doing to give reassurance to players and staff members.”

Among the players to have refused to return is captain Troy Deeney, who has publicly admitted that he does not intend to go back as he does not believe he could do so without putting his young son in danger of contracting the virus.

Deeney also raised concerns about the lack of acknowledgement of the issues facing black, Asian and minority ethnic players, who have been proven to be more at-risk during the current climate, and the striker took part in a meeting with league officials on Friday to try and figure out a safe way forward for everyone.

However, as it stands, Pearson’s squad has been completely ravaged. Given they sit 17th in the Premier League table, Watford will be eager to be at full strength if they are to return and fend off relegation, but that’s obviously not possible right now. Yikes.

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kanté was granted permission to miss training on Wednesday with the player fearful of the Premier League returning.

Step two of ‘Project Restart’ is being discussed as top-flight officials continue making ground on their efforts to resume the 2019/20 season in June, although several key figures have been outspoken in their criticism of the plans.

They include footballers, with the likes of Troy Deeney insisting he will not return to training due to concerns over his young family’s safety. Those worries have been felt by Kanté too, as The Telegraph have revealed that the Frenchman was given compassionate leave to miss the second day of Chelsea’s training this week due to fears of his own.

Kanté took part in Tuesday’s session, but it is claimed that the World Cup winner is not entirely convinced by the decision to return to training, with the rest of the United Kingdom remaining in government-advised lockdown.

His manager, Frank Lampard, as well as the Chelsea board are said to be understanding of his position and are happy for him to train at his own home. At present there is no timeframe put on Kanté’s return, but the club will continue to make their Cobham training ground as safe as possible and support Kanté throughout.

The 29-year-old’s concerns could arise from a number of health-related family tragedies; the Frenchman’s brother, Niama, died of a heart attack in the build up to the 2018 World Cup, while his father died when Kanté was just 11 years old.

Even the player himself has suffered health scares in the past, with one particular incident being when he passed out in front of his Blues teammates prior to the side taking on Manchester City in 2018, a match he played no part in. Cardiology tests showed Kanté had no heart issues, but the fright of the incident has clearly resonated.

It is added that Callum Hudson-Odoi also missed training, but this was due to him feeling unwell with something other than coronavirus and nothing to do with his recent arrest.

Covid-19 stoppage aside, it’s looking for all the world as if Liverpool will have a Premier League title to defend when 2020/21 kicks off.

As much as fans might want Kylian Mbappe, Jadon Sancho, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and every exciting young attack-minded player to arrive at Anfield and aid their bid to do so, however, it’s looking as if they are in for another quiet summer.

Even before the global crisis took hold and threatened to slash transfer spending right across the continent, 90min‘s understanding was that the Reds aren’t actively on the lookout for any blockbusting deals – instead striving to minimise disruption and keep the current group together.

So, ahead of another summer which promises to underwhelm the fantasists, let’s put the transfer rumours to one side, and have a look at some of the invariably overlooked players within the current ranks who could save the Anfield hierarchy a few quid when the window opens.

Kamil Grabara

Adrian’s Liverpool career started out oh so well after his ‘marquee’ arrival on a free transfer last summer, but after his costly showing against Atlético Madrid just before the break, the unforgiving calls to sign a new, more reliable backup to Alisson have re-emerged.

Let’s be realistic on this one, though – unless Adrian leaves, which is unlikely in itself, Liverpool probably aren’t going to go out and sign another keeper.

Especially not when they’ve got one they rate oh-so highly currently in the midst of a steep learning curve at Huddersfield. He’ll return to Anfield a better and more accomplished player, even if there have been some shaky moments, and having him available could well sink any lingering prospect of a new keeper coming in the door.

This is probably a good time to point out that Loris Karius still exists too.

Sepp van den Berg

He hasn’t quite been the most impressive of Liverpool’s merry band of prodigious youngsters this season, but Klopp – a former central defender – clearly sees something in young Sepp.

He’s featured heavily in the cups and has spent the season intermittently learning from Virgil van Dijk, and while the thinking is that Liverpool will seek out a replacement for Dejan Lovren should he leave the club this summer, the reality is that they may not have to.

With Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all pretty excellent senior options, it might well be the time to dip into the youth ranks and pick out a new fourth-choice centre-back. If Van den Berg shows he’s ready, he’ll be in contention.

Yasser Larouci

Two undisputed facts: 1. Liverpool need cover at left-back, and 2. it’s going to be mightily difficult for them to sign an accomplished player happy to live off the scraps Andy Robertson leaves behind.

If only they had an explosive young defender with the ready-made physical attributes, attacking competence and defensive nous to step up and provide some lasting and energetic cover.

Oh wait: Yasser Larouci exists, and having finally fought off his longstanding injury issues, he’ll be champing at the bit to earn his way up the pecking order this summer.

Marko Grujic

Grujic has been a desperately unlucky man. Throughout his loan spells with Cardiff and Hertha Berlin since 2018, he has steadily improved into a fearsome, physically-imposing defensive midfielder, with the ability to make an impact on virtually any squad in Europe outside of the very, very best.

It just so happens that, while he’s been doing so, Liverpool have transformed themselves into just that – one of, if not the, very, very best.

Still, all hope is not lost for the highly-rated Serb. While Jordan Henderson’s impeccable work is an adequate stand-in, the Reds do lack a natural alternative to the diligent, deep-lying Fabinho, and with Adam Lallana set to leave, there is likely to be a midfield berth going spare. Could there be one more chance?

Curtis Jones

Some names need introduction; Curtis Jones does not.

He’s the fuzzy-haired Scouser with the cojones to step up and bury the winning penalty against Arsenal, and the unbridled, uncontainable ability to win a Merseyside Derby by himself with a brain-melting curler into the top corner.

With nine senior appearances this season, the 19-year-old has already started racking up the minutes, and of all the players on this list, he’s the one you would pencil in as guaranteed to pick up an increased role within the first team next season.

Harvey Elliott

He’s just turned 17 last month, and plays for a team in which Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané are the starting wingers, yet Elliott’s impression in his debut season at Anfield has left some fans disappointed he hasn’t featured more.

It’s hard to overstate how ludicrously, freakishly, generationally good at football he is.

A league debut against Sheffield United back in January was little more than a token gesture, but if we don’t see him again before the season resumes, then you know he’ll be knocking on Klopp’s door during pre-season, looking to multiply his tally of senior minutes.

Rhian Brewster

To say Brewster has been ‘banging them in’ since joining Swansea on loan is perhaps overstating it, but he’s been a steady source of goals and inspiration for the Swans since January.

He has netted four times in his 11 appearances so far, and is yet to go three matches without getting himself on the scoresheet. He’s shown he has maturity beyond his years, while his five bookings so far would suggest he has a fire in his belly, and it looks as if he has all the hallmarks of a striker who will make his mark when given a meaningful chance in Klopp’s first team.

He’s had to wait patiently – injury issues have made sure of that – but if the Reds are on the lookout for someone to take the load off Roberto Firmino this summer, and a move for Timo Werner proves unviable, then they should look no further than the kid running the show in South Wales.