The injury list in Turin is no longer a concern. It is a full-blown crisis.
Juventus confirmed on Monday that Manuel Locatelli has undergone surgery on his right knee, a meniscus injury that is expected to rule the midfielder out until early 2027, while Jeremie Boga will also be sidelined for several weeks with a thigh problem.
The blows come on the back of an already bruising period for the club. For the recent 1-1 draw with Milan at the Allianz Stadium, Juventus were already missing Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Weston McKennie, Jeff Ekhator, Juan Cabal, Andrea Cambiaso and Pape Matar Sarr.
Now, the spine of the team has taken another hit.
Locatelli out for up to six months
Locatelli’s injury came during that tense draw with Milan on Sunday, a match in which he had been asked once again to anchor a makeshift midfield. The diagnosis was swift and brutal: a tear to the external meniscus in his right knee.
Juventus released a formal statement in the evening confirming that the Italy international travelled to Lyon, where surgeons sutured the damaged meniscus. It is a procedure that prioritises long-term stability over a quick fix, but it comes at a cost.
Early indications from Sky Sport Italia suggest a potential absence of five to six months. In calendar terms, that pushes his return towards the start of 2027.
For a side that leans heavily on his control in possession and positional discipline without the ball, it is a staggering loss. Locatelli is not simply another name on the team sheet; he is the metronome, the reference point. Removing him from an already stretched squad changes the entire feel of Juventus’ midfield.
Boga adds to growing casualty list
Just as Juventus were absorbing the news on Locatelli, another setback arrived.
Jeremie Boga, who has offered pace and direct running in wide areas, has been diagnosed with a medium-grade lesion to the femoral bicep in his left thigh. It is the kind of muscular injury that punishes explosive players most.
The club’s medical staff have set a cautious timetable. Boga will undergo fresh tests in two weeks, at which point the situation will be reassessed. For now, the expectation is clear: he will miss at least a month, with a likely lay-off of around five weeks.
That rules him out of a crucial stretch of fixtures and strips Juventus of one of their most vertical threats in transition. In a squad already shorn of options, losing a winger who can beat his man and stretch the pitch is no small detail.
A season on a knife-edge
One by one, the options are disappearing. Yildiz, Thuram, McKennie, Ekhator, Cabal, Cambiaso, Sarr. Now Locatelli and Boga.
What began as a frustrating run of absences has become the defining storyline of Juventus’ early season. The coaching staff will be forced into tactical compromises, young players will be pushed into the spotlight, and every training session will feel like a balancing act between intensity and preservation.
The surgery in Lyon and the scan room in Turin have delivered their verdict. The question now is simple and unforgiving: how long can Juventus keep their ambitions intact while so many of their key pieces watch from the stands?
