The surprise of Kenan Yildiz having to go under the knife was virtually none, mostly because it’s something we’ve all been expecting for the better part of the last week. But the beginning of a new work week brought what we all expected — and the official announcement that Juventus will be without their No. 10 for the next few months.
While there is no official timetable mentioned by Juve’s official website, Monday’s announcement that Yildiz has undergone successful surgery for “a fracture at the base
of the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot,” an injury he suffered in the second half of the season opener against Frosninone. The absence of a timetable for recovery is par for the course from the club these days, but virtually ever report coming out of Italy says that Yildiz will be out for at least two months, with a three-month absence looking like the most likely final verdict.
Considering Yildiz has undergone surgery on the final day of August, expecting him back before Halloween feels like a pretty big stretch. That would put a return following the November international break and maybe even the end of November if it pushes a full three months of recovery time.
Three months without Yildiz … that’s not how you want to start a new season. Two months was enough, but as it looks like it will be closer to three, you just realize how one small moment like this has potentially changed the scope of Juventus next few months in a major way. Just one late challenge for the ball by a Frosinone player — that wasn’t even shown a yellow, by the way — has now resulted in Juve’s No. 10 missing a big chunk of the new season.
As Yildiz begins his recovery process, Juventus do have options on the left wing to try and fill the void. Jérémie Boga got the first crack in the starting lineup this past weekend against Parma. We all know that summer signing Kerim Alajbegović is a player that so many people want to see get his shot in the starting lineup sooner rather than later simply considering the investment amount the club made for him a few weeks ago.
But, it ain’t Yildiz. And that is what Luciano Spalletti will have to cope with over the next two or three months.
At least Yildiz will now get a serious amount of time to rest for the first time in a while and hopefully come back 100% healthy once and for all just as the cold of winter starts to settle in over Turin. We are eagerly awaiting your return, Kenan, and hopefully we will see you at the Allianz Stadium some time soon — even if it is in street clothes.
