Juventus’s European opener at home to NEC Nijmegen is nine days away, and Luciano Spalletti will walk into it without his captain and without most of the midfield he had planned for.

Manuel Locatelli went in for scans after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with AC Milan at the Allianz Stadium and the tests returned damage to the external meniscus in his knee. According to Tuttosport, as relayed by Football Italia, the club will opt for a meniscus repair rather than a tissue trim, chosen for durability rather than speed of return.

Meniscus repair means a three-month clock

The surgery puts the minimum recovery at three months, ruling the Italy international out until after the Serie A winter break.

Locatelli spoke to the press after the Milan draw, before the scans had been done, and said his side had “played well and had the opportunity to win,” adding that “above all, this team has to do better than last year.” He was speaking as Juventus’s captain and organiser.

Read also: Is Aston Villa on the verge of collaps?

Douglas Luiz and Koopmeiners left holding the middle

The injury lands on a midfield already stripped of its depth. Khephren Thuram is not expected back until 2027 after his own knee surgery, Weston McKennie has sat out the last two fixtures with muscular fatigue, and Pape Sarr was left out of the Milan game with a minor muscular problem of his own.

That leaves Douglas Luiz and Teun Koopmeiners as the senior fit options in the middle of the pitch. Beyond them, Spalletti is reportedly ready to promote Augusto Owusu from the Juventus Next Gen squad for extra cover, and forward Kenan Yildiz is not due back until after the November international break following foot surgery.

Europa League opener nine days away

Juventus’s Europa League league-phase calendar opens at home to NEC Nijmegen on Thursday, 17 September at 9pm local time, and continues with a trip to Celta Vigo on 15 October and a home game against Rennes a week later. Eight league-phase games run through to a home date with Real Sociedad on 28 January 2027.

Locatelli is not expected to feature in any of them.

Read also: Patriots make Christian Gonzalez the NFL's richest cornerback on the eve of Week 1

Read also: Hokit unloads on UFC star Pereira: The x-rated rant that has the MMA world talking