Marchisio is known for his versatility and ability to play anywhere in midfield, as seen in various formations and positions he has been played in by his coaches. He has been used out wide in both a three- or four-man midfield, or as a defensive midfielder, but his preferred and most effective position is that of a central midfielder, where he is given the license to freely switch between defensive and attacking positions, instead of being limited to a single role. He is sometimes classified as an attacking central midfielder (known as a "mezz'ala" in Italian football), due to his penchant for scoring goals, rather than as a traditional deep-lying "creative" central midfielder (known as a "regista" in Italian football) in the mold of Andrea Pirlo. In the English language media he has been described as a "box-to-box midfielder" as he is neither a pure defensive nor an attacking midfielder, although he is able to play in both positions when necessary. He has also occupied a deeper playmaking role for his team, in particular after Pirlo's departure in 2015, in which he has been praised for his ability to spread the ball wide, or dictate play in midfield with his passing. A former forward, with an eye for goal, he has also been fielded in more advanced roles, as a deep-lying forward or attacking midfielder in a 3–5–1–1 formation. Regarded as a precocious talent in his youth since his emergence in Juventus's starting line-up, Marchisio's physical strength, pace, energy, positional sense and tactical awareness in his prime allowed him to excel in the centre in a box-to-box midfield role, and enabled him to establish himself as one of the top midfielders of his generation in Italy, Europe, and the world. In spite of his ability, however, he has been known to have a tendency to be injury prone.