Juventus Captain Locatelli Faces Surgery and Extended Absence

Juventus have been dealt a brutal blow: captain Manuel Locatelli needs knee surgery and will be out until at least the winter break.

The midfielder picked up the injury in Sunday’s tense draw with AC Milan at the Allianz Stadium. What initially looked like discomfort quickly turned into something far more serious once the medical staff ran their tests. The examinations confirmed significant damage to the external meniscus in his knee, forcing the club into a decisive choice.

Juventus have opted for a meniscus suture, a repair rather than a clean-up. It’s the more robust, career-conscious route, but it comes at a cost: a minimum of three months on the sidelines, according to Tuttosport. No shortcuts, no half measures. Locatelli is gone until the season pauses in winter.

For a fully stocked squad, that would sting. For this Juventus, already stretched to breaking point in midfield, it feels like a crisis.

Midfield at the limit

Locatelli had become the stabilising force in a department already stripped of key personnel. Khephren Thuram is in the middle of a long and complicated recovery after surgery for femoro-patellar syndrome, with his return to competitive action not expected until 2027. That timeline is staggering for a player signed to anchor the future of the midfield. Locatelli had been carrying a large part of that burden in his absence.

Now he joins the list.

The situation tightens further with Weston McKennie stuck on the sidelines. The United States international has missed the last two games due to persistent muscular fatigue, another body lost in the engine room at a time when minutes are piling up and rotations are thin.

Pape Sarr, brought in from Tottenham Hotspur to add legs and energy, has yet to truly enter the picture. He arrived with a minor muscular issue and without a proper pre-season, a combination that has delayed his integration into the starting XI. For now, he is more promise than solution.

Attacking edge blunted

The damage is not confined to midfield. Up front, Juventus are already without one of their most exciting talents. Kenan Yildiz remains a long-term absentee following foot surgery, with his return pencilled in for after the November international break.

His absence has been obvious. Yildiz’s flair and unpredictability in the final third gave Juventus a different dimension, especially against tight, organised defences. Without him, the attack has looked flatter, more predictable. Now remove Locatelli’s passing range and calm distribution from deep, and the team’s ability to unpick Serie A’s defensive blocks takes another heavy hit.

The recent draws have underlined that problem. The build-up is slower, the ideas fewer. The margin for error shrinks with every injury update.

Defence under strain too

The back line is not escaping unscathed either. Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal are both out and expected to miss around another month as they work back from their respective issues. Their absence chips away at the defensive depth, forcing more minutes on the remaining regulars.

There is at least a sliver of optimism with Andrea Cambiaso. The Italian international is nursing a minor ankle sprain, and the hope inside the club is that his spell out will be short. His versatility across the back and in wide roles could prove vital as the fixture list tightens and options thin.

Youth pushed to the fore

With senior players dropping across the pitch, the spotlight turns to the club’s academy and reserve ranks. Luciano Spalletti now has little choice but to look inward.

The Juventus Next Gen squad, competing in the lower tiers of Italian football, is expected to supply fresh bodies for first-team training and potentially for matchday squads. Among the names circulating in technical meetings, one stands out: Augusto Owusu. The youngster has impressed scouts with his performances for the reserve side and is increasingly viewed as a genuine candidate to step up.

This is the reality for Juventus now: patchwork solutions, accelerated development, and calculated risks on youth, all while trying to remain competitive on multiple fronts.

Locatelli’s surgery may protect his long-term future. The question hanging over Turin is what kind of shape Juventus will be in by the time their captain finally returns.