Juventus Injury Crisis Deepens: Locatelli Faces Lengthy Layoff, Boga Also Sidelined

Juventus' injury crisis has deepened significantly, with the club confirming that captain Manuel Locatelli has undergone knee surgery for a meniscus tear that could rule him out until 2027, while winger Jeremie Boga faces at least a month out with a separate hamstring injury.

Locatelli sustained the injury during Sunday's 1-1 draw with AC Milan and had surgery performed in Lyon to repair the external meniscus in his right knee. While Juventus have not given an official timeline, Italian reports suggest the layoff could range from three months in the best case to as long as five or six months in the worst, meaning the Italy international may not feature again this calendar year. "I am distraught, and it hurts knowing that I cannot fight for Juventus for a while," Locatelli said following the operation.

Boga, meanwhile, suffered a medium-grade hamstring tear in training on Monday and will be reassessed in two weeks, though he is widely expected to miss at least a month. The two fresh setbacks mean head coach Luciano Spalletti is now without nine senior first-team players, following earlier injuries to Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Weston McKennie, Jeff Ekhator, Juan Cabal and Andrea Cambiaso, alongside the departure of Pape Matar Sarr on loan. The club's three-week September international break offers some respite, but the scale of absences represents a serious early-season test for Spalletti's squad depth.