Genoa vs Juventus - Allegri does not want Juventus to relax

Massimiliano Allegri wants Juventus to keep the accelerator pressed to the floor as he insists a seven-point lead is not good enough at this stage of the Serie A season.

The reigning champions visit Genoa with the potential to pull 10 points clear of Roma at the top of the table, should the Giallorossi lose at home to Pescara after Juve have put the Grifone away.

Heading towards the winter break with such a healthy advantage would be the stuff of dreams for most top-flight managers but Bianconeri head coach Allegri is not remotely satisfied.

He said at a pre-match press conference: "Being seven points clear sounds like a lot, but it's not.

"We have to stay totally focused. It would be irresponsible to fail to understand how fragile our lead is.

"We must keep our feet on the ground, when we're not stepping on the gas, of course."

Argentinian hotshot Gonzalo Higuain - on nine goals in all competitions - could be restored to the starting XI after sitting out Juve's 3-1 Champions League victory at Sevilla.

"If Higuain comes back in he'll play alongside Mario Mandzukic," added Allegri. "I've got a lot of faith in Mario, he's in great shape at the moment, physically and mentally.

"Next week I could even have Paulo Dybala back in contention."

Giorgio Chiellini is not ready to return at the back so Daniele Rugani and Medhi Benatia will compete to replace him, while midfielder Mario Lemina sits out the Marassi trip due to illness.

In the Genoa squad Lucas Orban is serving a three-match ban, with Miguel Veloso suspended for this match. Striker Leonardo Pavoletti - a reported January transfer target for Napoli - has a knee injury.

When asked about the rumours linking him to the Stadio San Paolo, the 28-year-old told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Genoa is my home and I've made my decision as to what I'm doing this season.

"You'd have to beat me around the head to get me to change my mind."

Ivan Juric's men started the current campaign brightly but a run of three defeats from five has left them marooned in mid-table and nine points off the nearest Europa League place.

This fixture has delivered two Genoa wins from its last eight iterations, with Raffaele Palladino scoring a memorable late winner against the Old Lady in a 3-2 home win back in April 2009.