Juventus Injury Crisis Deepens: Locatelli Surgery and Boga's Absence
Juventus’ mounting injury crisis deepened on Monday as the club confirmed knee surgery for Manuel Locatelli and a thigh injury for Jeremie Boga, stripping Massimiliano Allegri of two more key options for the crucial winter stretch.
Locatelli blow: surgery and a long road back
Locatelli’s setback is the heaviest hit. The midfielder underwent an operation in Lyon to repair a tear in the external meniscus of his right knee, an injury sustained during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Milan at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus announced that surgeons sutured the damaged meniscus, opting for a repair rather than removal. It is the right choice for the long-term health of the joint, but it comes at a cost: recovery time.
Initial estimates are brutal. Sky Sport Italia report that Locatelli could be sidelined for five to six months, which would keep him out until 2027 and rip a strategic pillar out of Allegri’s midfield.
For a side already walking a tightrope with its squad depth, losing a player who dictates tempo, screens the defence and sets the rhythm in possession is more than just another name on the injury list. It changes how Juventus can play.
Boga sidelined as muscle problems pile up
As if that were not enough, Jeremie Boga has also been ruled out for several weeks after tests revealed a medium-grade lesion to the femoral biceps in his left thigh.
The winger’s condition will be reassessed in two weeks, but the medical staff have already mapped out a rough timeline. Boga is expected to miss at least a month, with a likely absence of around five weeks, depriving Juventus of one of their more direct, one-on-one threats in wide areas.
The injuries come on the back of an already bruising spell for the squad. For the recent clash with Milan, Allegri was forced to do without Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Weston McKennie, Jeff Ekhator, Juan Cabal, Andrea Cambiaso and Pape Matar Sarr.
Now, two more names are added to that list. One for weeks. One for months.
A squad stretched to breaking point
This is no longer just a rough patch; it is a full-scale availability crisis. Every reshuffle, every tactical tweak, now has to account for the absence of a midfield cornerstone and a winger capable of breaking games open from the bench or the start.
The calendar will not slow down to help them. Juventus must find answers from within a depleted dressing room, rely on squad players, and squeeze every drop out of those still standing.
The question is no longer who steps up in the next game, but how long this group can keep absorbing blows like this and stay in the race on multiple fronts.
