Dusan Vlahovic has suffered another untimely setback just as Juventus enter the decisive stretch of their season, with the Serbian striker facing at least three weeks on the sidelines.
The 26-year-old had only recently worked his way back from a lay-off that kept him out since December, returning to action in mid-March. His comeback was meant to sharpen Juve’s attack for the run-in. Instead, it has been abruptly interrupted.
The problem surfaced not in a tackle or a dramatic sprint, but during the warm-up ahead of the second half of Monday’s 2-0 Serie A win over Genoa. Juventus later detailed the incident in a statement.
“During the warm-up held in the second half of the match against Genoa, Dusan Vlahovic felt an issue in his left calf,” the club said. Diagnostic tests followed on Tuesday morning. “The examinations revealed low-grade damage,” Juve added.
Italian media report that the injury will keep Vlahovic out for at least three weeks, ruling him out of a key spell as the club fights to reclaim a place among Europe’s elite.
The timing could hardly be more delicate. Juventus sit fifth in Serie A, one point behind Como, who currently occupy the final Champions League spot. Seven games remain.
Every goal, every run, every half-chance matters now. And they will have to chase that Champions League place, at least for the next few weeks, without their main centre-forward.
