When Juventus first signed Emil Holm on loan from Bologna, the hope was that he would, at the very least, provide cover for a player in Pierre Kalulu who had played every minute of every game so far this season.
Unfortunately, in the same game in which Kalulu was unjustly sent off by referee Federico La Penna, it turns out Holm’s reason for looking like he was in pain was … exactly that.
Juventus announced on Sunday that Holm picked up a calf injury after coming on in the second half of the Bianconeri’s
3-2 loss to league leaders Inter Milan at the San Siro the night before. And with it comes the sudden development that the Swedish international Holm will be out for around a month, with Juventus saying that he will undergo tests in two weeks’ time “to determine the exact recovery time.”
The short update from Juventus’ official website is as follows:
Following discomfort felt in his right calf during the second half of the Serie A Matchday 25 match against Inter Milan, Juventus Men’s First Team player Emil Holm underwent radiological tests at J|Medical on Sunday, 15 February, morning.
The tests revealed a low-to-medium grade myotendinous injury to the soleus muscle.
He will undergo further tests in two weeks to determine the exact recovery time.
Holm has posted on Instagram following the news of his injury, saying “I’m totally over my injury from yesterdays game..I will come back stronger! Forza Juve Sempre!”
With Holm out for the next month or so, Juventus are now without the player in which they signed to give them cover at right back now that manager Luciano Spalletti has gone with a back four full time. The hope was that Holm would at least give Spalletti an option to give Kalulu — who was sent off in the 42nd minute of Saturday night’s Derby d’Italia — some sort of rest as the second half of the season went on. Now, as Juventus await word on if they will get any sort of reprieve regarding a suspension for Kalulu based on how Serie A referee designator Gianluca Rocchi issued some version of an apology about the whole situation, they will be without the main backup on the right side of defense.
Because of that — and assuming that Kalulu does in fact receive a ban even though he absolutely does not deserve one — it will likely mean somebody like Andrea Cambiaso will start at the right fullback spot next weekend when Juventus host Como at the Allianz Stadium in another key matchup in the race for the top four.
Either way, options will be limited at fullback the next week or two regardless, and that is mainly because Holm is suddenly out injured. (Which maybe shouldn’t come as a huge surprise in hindsight considering how much he was visibly struggling and had the facial expressions to prove it in the final minutes of Saturday night’s loss to Inter.)
