Turin has barely had time to settle into the new season before Juventus’ treatment room became as significant as the pitch. Luciano Spalletti’s side sit seventh after five Serie A rounds, with a 1-1 home draw against Milan and a 3-2 defeat at Sassuolo underlining an uneasy opening, but a remarkable succession of operations has deepened the concern around the club.
Key takeaways
- Goalkeeper Kamil Grabara has undergone surgery in Poland after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
- The 27-year-old Pole could miss around seven months, only days after an outstanding Europa League debut against NEC Nijmegen.
- Grabara is the fifth Juventus player to require an operation since the campaign began roughly a month ago.
- Captain Manuel Locatelli faces an estimated five to six months out following surgery on his right knee.
- Randal Kolo Muani is expected back after the international break after fracturing the little finger on his right hand against Atalanta.
Grabara’s abrupt setback
Grabara arrived this season on loan from Wolfsburg and had made an immediate impression in Europe. He was named man of the match in Juventus’ 5-0 Europa League victory over NEC Nijmegen on 17 September, his first appearance for the Bianconeri.
Just two days later, however, he sustained a serious right-knee injury in training. Surgery was carried out in his native Poland after examinations confirmed an ACL rupture. A seven-month absence is possible, removing a goalkeeper who had made a striking early case for himself in Turin.
The injury list has become an issue that runs alongside Juventus’ uneven league form. The club’s early domestic results have left Spalletti with little margin for further disruption as the European schedule gathers pace.
Four earlier operations in a difficult month
Kenan Yildiz was the first Juventus player to go under the knife. The young forward fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot during the opening-round match against Frosinone and underwent an operation on 31 August. His projected lay-off is about three months.
Three days later, Khéphren Thuram had surgery on his right knee for patellar chondropathy. The 25-year-old French midfielder had been unable to play since the end of last season because of the painful cartilage condition, and is not expected to return before the beginning of 2027.
Locatelli, 28, became the third player operated on when he suffered a tear to the lateral meniscus in his right knee against Milan. The Juventus captain underwent his procedure on 8 September and is likely to be unavailable for between five and six months.
Kolo Muani is expected to be the shortest-term absentee. The 27-year-old France forward fractured the little finger of his right hand in a collision with an opponent during Saturday’s match against Atalanta, then had an operation. Signed permanently from Paris Saint-Germain this season after a productive previous loan spell, he should be fit again once the international window has ended.
