Juventus Faces Midfield Crisis as Locatelli Undergoes Surgery

Juventus have been dealt a brutal blow: captain Manuel Locatelli needs knee surgery and is expected to be out until the winter break, stripping Massimiliano Allegri’s side of their midfield leader at the worst possible moment.

The 28-year-old suffered the injury in Sunday’s bruising draw with AC Milan at the Allianz Stadium. He finished the match in visible discomfort, and the club wasted no time sending him for extensive tests to understand the damage.

The scans confirmed what the medical staff feared most. Locatelli has sustained a serious injury to the external meniscus of his knee, an issue that cannot be managed conservatively. Juventus have chosen a surgical repair rather than a simpler clean-up, prioritising the long-term health of a player who has become the heartbeat of their midfield.

According to Tuttosport, the preferred option is a meniscus suture. It is the more robust solution, one designed to protect the joint and extend Locatelli’s career at the highest level. The price is time. Recovery is estimated at a minimum of three months, which effectively rules him out until Serie A pauses for the winter break.

For a squad already stretched thin, the timing is brutal.

Midfield crisis deepens

Juventus were already walking a tightrope in the middle of the pitch. Khephren Thuram is out long term after undergoing surgery for a femoro-patellar syndrome, a complex knee issue that has removed him from Allegri’s plans for years rather than months. The Frenchman is not expected back in competitive action until 2027, a staggering absence that had pushed even more responsibility onto Locatelli’s shoulders.

Now that safety net has gone.

The strain doesn’t end there. Weston McKennie, a key presence for club and country, has missed the last two matches with persistent muscular fatigue. His situation has forced Juventus to manage him cautiously, unwilling to risk a more serious setback.

Pape Sarr, signed in the summer from Tottenham Hotspur to add legs and energy, has barely had a chance to show it. He arrived with a minor muscular issue and without a proper pre-season, leaving him short of the rhythm and conditioning needed to step straight into the starting XI. Instead of being an immediate solution, he has become another question mark.

Attacking threat blunted

The problems are not confined to the centre of the pitch. Up front, Kenan Yildiz remains a significant absentee after undergoing foot surgery. The talented forward is not expected to return before the November international break.

His absence has already been felt. Yildiz’s ability to unsettle defences, drift between the lines and create something out of nothing has been badly missed in recent draws. Without him, Juventus have often looked predictable in the final third. Now, without Locatelli’s passing range and control from deep, breaking down compact Serie A defences becomes an even taller order.

Defence under strain as injuries pile up

Even the back line has not escaped the injury storm.

Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal are both sidelined and are expected to miss around another month of action as they recover from their respective problems. Their absence chips away at the depth Allegri can call upon, especially when fixtures start to pile up.

There is at least a sliver of optimism with Andrea Cambiaso. The Italian international is nursing a minor ankle sprain, and the club hope he can return sooner than the others. But until he is fully fit, even the defensive rotations remain fragile.

Turning to the academy

With senior options disappearing by the week, Juventus are being forced to look inwards.

Luciano Spalletti and the technical staff have turned their attention to Juventus Next Gen, the club’s reserve side competing in the lower tiers of Italian football. Several youngsters are expected to be drafted into first-team training and matchday squads, asked to grow up quickly in a high-pressure environment.

One name keeps surfacing in internal discussions: Augusto Owusu. The young midfielder has impressed scouts and coaches alike with his performances for the reserve team, showing personality on the ball and maturity beyond his years. For now, he represents promise rather than certainty.

But with Locatelli out, Thuram gone for the long haul, and the treatment room filling up, promise might be exactly what Juventus are forced to lean on as they try to keep their season on track.