Juventus winger Federico Chiesa reflected on his struggles after tearing his cruciate ligaments in a clash with Roma 13 months ago.

The 25-year-old Italian winger suffered a heavy challenge from Giallorossi defender Chris Smalling in the 32nd minute of the Bianconeri’s 4-3 win back on January 9, 2022. The resulting injury forced him to the sidelines for over 10 months and he was limited to a handful of cameo appearances in the first half of this season.

Chiesa has started to reach full fitness now and started in Juventus’ 1-0 Coppa Italia win over Lazio, showing positive signs 13 months after the cruciate ligament rupture.

Speaking on the Amazon Prime Video documentary ‘Back on Track’, Chiesa first remembered how he felt after suffering the serious injury in January 2022.

I was about to kick the ball, Smalling came in and I felt a crazy twinge in my knee. At first, I thought I had torn a tendon, I went to the ground and feel my knee go out.

The doctor came onto the pitch and I told him I couldn’t feel my knee anymore. On the sidelines I decided to try, but with every step I heard a sound.

At the first change of direction, I heard this sound but louder, as if the knee was coming out of the joint, I slumped to the ground.

Hands in my hair, Lorenzo Pellegrini came up to me and I told him: ‘I smashed it all over.’ I started crying as soon as the doctor practised a sort of move on me to see if the cruciate held or not.

He froze and shook his head. I started to despair, to cry, words aren’t even needed in those moments.

He then opened up about how the injury affected his relationship with partner Lucia.

For Chiellini’s farewell match, I went out with Lucia for the first time. There was this different acquaintance, we started talking in the first days of January.

I wanted to see her, only I ruptured my cruciate and I had to convince her to come and see me, she thought I was faking the pain.

She preferred to see me outside, I explained that I couldn’t. Then she was convinced, and we met at my house and she understood that I couldn’t move from the sofa.

This season, Chiesa has played 332 minutes of action across nine games for Juventus, scoring one goal and providing two assists in that time.

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