Juventus are set to start the new Seria A campaign without their talented defender Matthijs De Ligt. The club announced on Wednesday that De Ligt underwent a shoulder surgery which will keep him out of action for three months.
According to the statement issued by Juve, de Ligt’s “stabilization surgery” was a “complete success,” and the player will make full recovery.
The timeline on De Ligt’s recovery will make the 21-year-old miss at least two months of action in 2020/21. The new domestic season in Italy is scheduled to kick off on September 19th.
Not having one of their key defenders might prove troublesome for Juve as the club embarks on a quest to win their 10th straight title. The club is expected to have a revamp this summer as they hired a new coach in Andrea Pirlo and look to bring players that suit his style. It won’t be a surprise if some of those players are defenders, especially since the team back four is filled with veterans aside from De Ligt.
Matthijs De Ligt joined Juventus last summer, arriving in an $85 million transfer from Eredivisie giants Ajax. During the first few months in Turin, De Ligt struggled to justify this massive fee but ended up improving significantly as the season progressed. He ended up making 35 appearances (26 starts) in all competitions while managing to contribute with three goals as well.
