Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli is set to undergo surgery on an external-meniscus injury sustained during Sunday’s draw with Milan, with the preferred repair option reportedly ruling him out for at least three months.
Further tests have confirmed that an operation is required, according to TuttoSport. The preferred solution is described as a meniscus repair, considered the more durable route but the one that would keep Locatelli sidelined the longest, rather than a quicker but less robust alternative.
The timing could hardly be worse for Luciano Spalletti. Juventus are already without Khéphren Thuram, who is expected to remain unavailable until 2027 following his own surgery, while Weston McKennie has missed the last two matches with muscular fatigue.
New signing Pape Sarr was also unavailable against Milan, arriving from Tottenham with a minor muscular issue and lacking sufficient preparation time. Elsewhere in the squad, Kenan Yildiz is not expected back until after the November international break following foot surgery, Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal are each facing around another month out, and Andrea Cambiaso is nursing a minor ankle sprain – the full extent of which is covered in Juventus’ wider injury situation.
With Locatelli set to join the treatment room for an extended spell, Spalletti faces a genuine emergency in the middle of the park. The Juventus coach could turn to the Next Gen squad for reinforcements, with Owusu among the youngsters under consideration for a first-team opportunity.
The scale of the problem also revives questions over Juventus’ central midfield depth more broadly, an area already under scrutiny amid talk linking the club to Franck Kessié, and one where Douglas Luiz’s role as a deeper option may take on added significance in Locatelli’s absence.
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