Juventus Faces Crisis as Locatelli Undergoes Surgery and Boga Injured

The mood around Juventus has darkened again. Results have been mixed, the treatment room is overflowing, and now the club has lost one of its on‑field leaders for what could be the rest of the year.

On Monday, Juventus confirmed that Manuel Locatelli has undergone knee surgery, while Jeremie Boga has been sidelined with a thigh injury in yet another blow to an already depleted squad.

Locatelli out after meniscus surgery

The turning point came in the 1-1 draw with Milan at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday. In a match already heavy with tension, Locatelli’s knee gave way. The damage was serious.

Tests revealed a meniscus tear in his right knee. The club announced that the midfielder travelled to Lyon, where specialists operated to suture the external meniscus. It is a precise, delicate procedure, chosen to preserve the joint over the long term but one that demands patience in recovery.

The early outlook is grim. Juventus expect to be without Locatelli until around 2027, and Sky Sport Italia report that the lay-off could stretch to five or even six months. For a player who sets the rhythm in midfield, it is a brutal interruption.

For Massimiliano Allegri, it rips out one of the pillars of his structure. Locatelli’s blend of aggression, positional discipline and passing range has made him a constant reference point in front of the defence. Now that anchor is gone, and Juventus must improvise in a part of the pitch where they can least afford instability.

Injury list grows in Turin

The timing could hardly be worse. Juventus went into the Milan match already stripped of options: Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Weston McKennie, Jeff Ekhator, Juan Cabal, Andrea Cambiaso and Pape Matar Sarr were all unavailable.

That list read like a warning. Locatelli’s collapse has turned it into a full-blown crisis.

Every training session now becomes an exercise in risk management. Every selection, a compromise. Juventus are not just rotating; they are patching holes and hoping the next name doesn’t fall.

Boga blow adds to attacking worries

As if losing their midfield general was not enough, Juventus must also cope without Jeremie Boga.

The winger has been diagnosed with a medium-grade lesion to the femoral biceps in his left thigh. It is the kind of muscular injury that punishes explosive players most, those who rely on sudden changes of pace and acceleration to unbalance defenders.

Medical staff will reassess his condition in two weeks, but the initial expectation is clear: Boga is set to miss at least a month, with a likely absence of around five weeks.

That robs Juventus of a direct, unpredictable threat in the final third at a time when they need variety and penetration. With so many creative and attacking options already missing, Boga’s injury narrows Allegri’s choices even further.

The club now stares at a critical stretch of the season with a patched-up squad, a reshuffled midfield, and one of its most dangerous dribblers in the stands. How they navigate the next few months could define not just their campaign, but the direction of the project in Turin.