Juventus Faces Injury Crisis: Locatelli and Boga Out

Juventus’ growing injury nightmare has taken another brutal turn, with Manuel Locatelli undergoing knee surgery and Jeremie Boga sidelined by a thigh problem.

What was already a stretched squad is now close to breaking point. For the clash with Milan, the Bianconeri were forced to do without Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Weston McKennie, Jeff Ekhator, Juan Cabal, Andrea Cambiaso and Pape Matar Sarr. Now two more key pieces have been stripped away.

Locatelli out for months after meniscus surgery

The biggest blow comes in midfield. Locatelli, injured during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Milan, has suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee and is expected to be out until deep into the season, potentially into 2027.

Juventus confirmed on Monday evening that the Italy international travelled to Lyon, where specialists performed surgery to suture the external meniscus. No recovery timetable appeared in the club’s statement, but the outlook is grim.

Sky Sport Italia report that the lay-off could stretch to five or even six months, a timeframe that would rip Locatelli out of the heart of Juventus’ campaign and force a rethink in the centre of the pitch. He is not just another name on the teamsheet; he is a reference point in possession and a shield without the ball. Losing that profile for half a season changes the geometry of this team.

Boga joins growing list of absentees

As if that were not enough, Juventus must also cope without Jeremie Boga. The winger has been diagnosed with a medium-grade lesion of the femoral biceps in his left thigh, another muscular setback at a time when rotation is already limited.

The club’s medical staff will reassess his condition in two weeks after further tests. Until then, the picture is clear enough: Boga is expected to miss at least a month, with estimates pointing towards roughly five weeks on the sidelines.

That rules him out of a crucial stretch in the calendar and strips Juventus of one of their most direct, unpredictable attacking options off the flank. In a squad already patched together, the loss of that spark is not a detail.

The season is still young, but the question in Turin is already unavoidable: how long can a team with this many absences keep competing at the level the shirt demands?