245 days have passed since Federico Chiesa suffered a cruciate ligament rupture and the Juventus winger is still not ready to return to action just yet.
The 24-year-old Italian winger, who played a crucial role in Italy’s Euro 2020 win last year, suffered the serious knee injury during a 4-3 win over Roma on January 9, essentially sidelining him for the rest of the year. Juventus initially suggested that Chiesa would be out for around seven months, but clearly this estimation was a little hopeful.
As detailed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Chiesa was confident of returning during the latter stages of the summer break, but things changed after a training session in August. The 24-year-old pushed himself too much and his knee swelled, forcing him to slow down and return to the doctor’s office.
The former Fiorentina man is now training individually in Turin, working carefully in order to avoid any more setbacks. Massimiliano Allegri and Juventus hope to have him available for a cameo appearance or two at least by the end of October, wanting him fully fit by the time Serie A returns in January after the World Cup.