Juventus Captain Locatelli Faces Meniscus Surgery
Juventus have been hit by another brutal injury blow, with captain Manuel Locatelli set for surgery on an external meniscus injury that will rule him out for months.
The midfielder sustained the problem during Sunday’s draw with Milan and, as reported by TuttoSport, further examinations have confirmed that an operation is unavoidable. The preferred course is a meniscus repair – a sturdier, long-term solution, but one that comes at a heavy short-term cost: Locatelli is expected to be sidelined for at least three months.
For Luciano Spalletti, it changes everything in the middle of the pitch.
Spalletti’s midfield stripped bare
Juventus were already walking a tightrope in midfield. Now the rope is fraying.
Khephren Thuram is out of the picture until 2027 after his own surgery, removing a major physical presence and long-term pillar from Spalletti’s plans. Weston McKennie has missed the last two matches due to muscular fatigue, leaving another gap in a department that once looked deep but now feels worryingly thin.
On Sunday against Milan, the situation was laid bare. New signing Pape Sarr, brought in from Tottenham to add energy and legs, was unavailable as well, still dealing with a minor muscular issue and short of proper preparation. One by one, Spalletti’s options have disappeared.
The image of the Juventus coach on the touchline in Frosinone on August 23 – head down, shoulders heavy during the Serie A match at Stadio Benito Stirpe – suddenly feels like a snapshot of the wider moment. This is turning into a full-blown midfield emergency.
Next Gen on standby
With senior options dwindling, Spalletti may be forced to look down the ladder.
The club’s Next Gen squad is now firmly in the conversation, with youngster Owusu among those being considered for a step up into the first team. It is not a luxury experiment; it is necessity. If Locatelli’s recovery follows the expected timeline and the others do not return quickly, Juventus will need fresh legs and fearless minds from within.
And the problems do not stop in midfield.
Kenan Yildiz, recovering from foot surgery, is only expected back after the November international break, delaying the return of one of the side’s brightest attacking sparks. Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal each face roughly another month out, trimming Spalletti’s options across the pitch. Andrea Cambiaso is working his way back from a minor ankle sprain, another name on an injury list that grows longer by the week.
Locatelli’s absence, though, cuts deepest. He is the captain, the organiser, the reference point in possession and out of it. Now Juventus must navigate a crucial stretch of the season without him, patched together in the middle and leaning on youth.
The question is no longer just how they cope game to game. It’s how long this injury storm can rage before it reshapes their entire campaign.
