Juventus Faces Injury Crisis as Locatelli and Boga Ruled Out
Juventus rocked as Locatelli faces long lay-off and Boga ruled out
The injury list in Turin is no longer a concern. It is a crisis.
Juventus confirmed on Monday that Manuel Locatelli has undergone knee surgery and is expected to be sidelined for months, while Jeremie Boga has suffered a thigh injury that will keep him out for several weeks.
Locatelli blow deepens Juventus crisis
The damage was done in the 1-1 draw with Milan at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday, a match that already felt like a test of Juventus’ depth. Locatelli picked up a meniscus injury in his right knee, and the club have now moved quickly to address it.
In an official statement, Juventus announced that the midfielder travelled to Lyon, where surgeons sutured the external meniscus. It is a serious intervention, not a quick clean-up.
Early estimates are bleak. Locatelli is not expected back before 2027, and Sky Sport Italia reports his absence could stretch to five or even six months. For a player who has become a reference point in the Bianconeri midfield, that is a gaping hole.
It comes at the worst possible time. Juventus went into the Milan game already stripped of options: Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Weston McKennie, Jeff Ekhator, Juan Cabal, Andrea Cambiaso and Pape Matar Sarr were all unavailable. Now the man who knits their midfield together joins the list, and not just for a few weeks.
The knock-on effect is obvious. Without Locatelli, Juventus lose their tempo-setter, their organiser out of possession, their safety valve when games turn frantic. Whoever steps in will not just be filling a position. They will be inheriting responsibility.
Boga sidelined as attacking options thin
As if that were not enough, Juventus also confirmed a muscular injury for Jeremie Boga.
The winger has been diagnosed with a medium-grade lesion to the femoral biceps in his left thigh. It is the kind of strain that does not grab headlines like knee surgery, but it bites into a coach’s plans all the same.
The club’s medical staff will reassess Boga in two weeks after fresh tests. The initial outlook is that he will be out for at least a month, with a likely recovery time of around five weeks.
For an attack already juggling absences and searching for rhythm, losing Boga’s direct running and one-on-one threat strips away another option from the bench and the starting XI.
Juventus now stare at a crucial stretch of the season with their squad stretched to its limit, key figures in the treatment room, and little margin for error. How long can a team built to compete on all fronts keep absorbing blows like this and still play like contenders?
