Zaniolo 15th ACL tear for Roma

Nicolo Zaniolo will have surgery today, and becomes the 15th Roma player to rupture his anterior cruciate ligament in the last six years.

The Giallorossi have had a nasty relationship with knee injuries in recent years. Since Kevin Strootman's ACL rupture in 2014, the list has grown exponentially.

The list of players reads as follows:

Kevin Strootman: March 9 2014

Elia Capradossi: September 14 2015

Ezequiel Ponce: November 24 2015

Nicolo Zaniolo will have surgery today, and becomes the 15th Roma player to rupture his anterior cruciate ligament in the last six years.

The Giallorossi have had a nasty relationship with knee injuries in recent years. Since Kevin Strootman's ACL rupture in 2014, the list has grown exponentially.

The list of players reads as follows:

Kevin Strootman: March 9 2014

Elia Capradossi: September 14 2015

Ezequiel Ponce: November 24 2015

Abdullahi Nura: May 28 2016

Antonio Rudiger: June 11 2016

Mario Rui: August 5 2016

Alessandro Florenzi: October 26 2016 and February 17 2017

Emerson Palmeri: May 28 2017

Luca Pellegrini: July 15 2017

Rick Karsdorp: October 25 2017

Riccardo Calafiori: October 2 2018

David Bouah: November 23 2018 and September 16 2019

William Bianda: February 4 2019

Davide Zappacosta: October 4 2019

Nicolo Zaniolo: January 12 2020

There have been theories for several years as to why this specific injury happens to Roma players, with reports that the club re-laid the pitches at Trigoria, the club’s training ground.

Roma winger Diego Perotti commented on Zaniolo’s injury following last night’s game.

“The pitch at the Stadio Olimpico has never been good, it isn’t one of the best in Serie A. There are always holes, it’s not a good pitch,” Perotti said in the mixed zone.

“It certainly has influenced the two injuries in the game [Juve's Merih Demiral and Zaniolo].

“For Nicolo, who is a very young important player for us, it will be a huge loss, but we will be close to him and he will return.”