Juventus Injury Woes: Locatelli and Boga Confirmed Out
Juventus’ injury nightmare deepened on Monday as the club confirmed Manuel Locatelli has undergone knee surgery, while Jeremie Boga faces several weeks on the sidelines with a thigh problem.
What was already a stretched squad is now creaking.
Locatelli blow: surgery and a long road back
Locatelli’s setback is the most brutal. The midfielder tore the external meniscus in his right knee during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Milan at the Allianz Stadium, an injury serious enough to require immediate intervention.
Juventus announced that the 28-year-old travelled to Lyon for surgery to suture the damaged meniscus. The procedure was successful, but the timeline is unforgiving. Initial indications suggest Locatelli is unlikely to return before 2027, with Sky Sport Italia estimating an absence of five to six months.
For a player who anchors Juventus’ midfield structure, it is a huge tactical and emotional loss. For a team already walking a tightrope with fitness, it feels like the worst possible moment.
Boga sidelined as muscle problems mount
As if that were not enough, Boga has also been ruled out. Tests revealed a medium-grade lesion to the femoral biceps in his left thigh, another muscular issue in a squad already riddled with them.
The club’s medical staff will reassess the winger in two weeks, but the early forecast is bleak enough: Boga is expected to miss at least a month, with the lay-off likely stretching to around five weeks.
His absence strips more pace and unpredictability from the flanks, just when Juventus need variety and depth to navigate a congested schedule.
A squad under strain
These latest injuries land on top of an already alarming list. Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Weston McKennie, Jeff Ekhator, Juan Cabal, Andrea Cambiaso and Pape Matar Sarr were all unavailable for the clash with Milan.
One or two injuries can be absorbed. This is something else entirely. With Locatelli facing a long rehabilitation and Boga joining the queue in the treatment room, Juventus are staring at a season that will test not only their medical department, but the limits of their squad and their ambitions.
