September 9: Juventus Suffer Seven Injuries After Just Three Serie A Matches, Medical Room Busier Than Allianz Stadium

Asia Games Together Locatelli played the entire match in the game in Milan, helping Juventus equalize and take back a point. The next morning, the pain in his knee had not eased but instead became worse. Once the examination results came out, Juventus were shocked — he had suffered a serious lateral meniscus injury. According to Italian journalist Schira, Locatelli will undergo lateral meniscus surgery and is expected to be out for around 100 days, returning to action in January 2027.

Juventus' problems now go far beyond Locatelli alone.

Just days before Locatelli's injury, Juventus officially confirmed another setback — Khephren Thuram underwent right knee patellar cartilage surgery. Thuram had been troubled by patellofemoral syndrome since April, and after months of conservative treatment, he ultimately could not avoid surgery. Team reporter Romeo Agresti revealed that Thuram's 2026 season is over early and his return will have to wait until 2027. Spalletti said at a press conference: "This surprised us, and it is very difficult to find a player with his characteristics." Thuram's running ability and midfield coverage are qualities that this Juventus team currently cannot replace.

Looking further back, at the end of August Juventus officially confirmed that Yildiz had suffered a fracture at the base of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot and underwent open reduction and internal fixation surgery on the afternoon of August 31. The Turkish talent wearing Juventus' No. 10 shirt is expected to need two and a half to three months to recover, with the goal of returning after the November international break. This means Yildiz will miss at least 10 Serie A matches and four Europa League matches. Spalletti previously said that Yildiz is Juventus' strongest player.

There is also Ehizibue, who suffered a moderate right thigh muscle injury. Cabal suffered a low-grade left thigh semimembranosus injury. Cambiaso has an ankle sprain. McKennie has muscle fatigue and has already missed several matches. New signing Pape Sarr arrived from Tottenham with a muscle issue and lacked a complete preseason preparation. Spalletti himself said at the pre-match press conference before facing Milan that the team had seven injured players. Serie A has only played three rounds.

In the September 6 match against AC Milan, several Next Gen youth team players were on Juventus' bench. A team aiming for the title having to rely on young players to fill the squad list at the beginning of the season is a difficult sight for any major club. Well-known journalist Romano revealed that after Locatelli's long-term injury, Juventus are facing an emergency situation in midfield. Juventus are evaluating all options, including free agent Brozovic. The 33-year-old former Inter midfielder has been recommended to Juventus, but there have been no concrete negotiations yet. Romano's words were: "Juventus are evaluating all options."

The season has just started, and in early September Serie A had only played three rounds. Juventus already have three very serious injury absences, all involving important squad members. This is not a crisis in just one area, but a structural problem affecting the entire team from attack to midfield to defense. The number of midfielders available to Spalletti can be counted on one hand. Juventus will next face a two-front schedule — consecutive Serie A matches against Sassuolo and Atalanta, followed by their Europa League opener at home against NEC Nijmegen on September 18. With the current depleted squad, nobody knows how long they can hold on.

Juventus' medical team now faces a difficult issue — Locatelli's condition is still being comprehensively assessed, and it remains to be decided whether he will undergo surgery or receive conservative treatment. However, according to Romano, 99.9% of people inside Juventus believe Locatelli must have surgery. If he ultimately goes under the knife, it will be Juventus' third surgery involving a key player within two weeks — Thuram, Yildiz, Locatelli, one after another.

When a team's backbone is gradually taken away piece by piece, the test is not only about who remains on the bench.