Locatelli Injury Deepens Juventus Midfield Crisis

Juventus have been hit by another brutal injury setback, with captain Manuel Locatelli now set for surgery on an external meniscus injury that could keep him out for months.

The midfielder sustained the problem during Sunday’s draw with Milan. Subsequent tests, reported by TuttoSport, confirmed what Juventus feared: an operation is needed. The club’s preferred route is a meniscus repair, a more robust long-term solution but one that is expected to sideline Locatelli for at least three months.

For Luciano Spalletti, it changes everything in the middle of the pitch.

Midfield stripped bare

Juventus were already walking a tightrope in midfield. Now it looks like a full-blown emergency.

Khephren Thuram is a long-term absentee after his own surgery, with the Frenchman not expected back until 2027. Weston McKennie has missed the last two matches due to muscular fatigue and is still working his way back.

New signing Pape Sarr, brought in from Tottenham to add energy and legs, was unavailable against Milan as well. He arrived with a minor muscular issue and without the necessary preparation to be thrown straight into a game of that intensity.

So Spalletti watched his side fight through a Serie A heavyweight clash already short of options. Then lost his captain.

Spalletti’s dilemma

The image of Spalletti on the touchline in Frosinone in late August – head bowed, shoulders heavy during the match at Stadio Benito Stirpe – suddenly feels like a snapshot of the season’s mood. The coach now has to improvise, and quickly.

With senior options dropping one by one, the Juventus boss may be forced to look down the ladder. The Next Gen squad is now firmly in focus, with youngster Owusu among those being considered for a promotion into the first-team setup. Opportunity for some. A headache for the man picking the team.

Problems mounting across the squad

The issues are not confined to midfield.

Kenan Yildiz, recovering from foot surgery, is not expected back until after the November international break. Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal each face around another month on the sidelines, further trimming Spalletti’s choices across the pitch. Andrea Cambiaso is also out, though his minor ankle sprain is viewed as a shorter-term concern.

One injury can unsettle a team. A cluster like this can reshape a season.

Juventus now enter a critical stretch with their captain heading for the operating room and their coach forced to trust youth, patchwork line-ups and sheer resilience. The question is no longer just how they will cope without Locatelli.

It’s how long they can keep competing at the top while the treatment room stays this full.