Juventus attacker Kenan Yildiz faces an extended spell on the sidelines after medical assessments confirmed he suffered a fractured metatarsal in his left foot. The Turkey international is now expected to be unavailable for approximately three months, ruling him out until late November.
The latest diagnosis represents a more severe prognosis than initial estimates, which had suggested a two-month absence following Juventus’s 1-0 Serie A opening victory away to Frosinone on Sunday. Yildiz underwent further specialist consultations on Tuesday, after which the club medical team determined the recovery period would likely extend to three months.
Surgical intervention remains under consideration to address the foot injury. The final decision regarding an operation will follow additional consultations between the player, club doctors and external specialists. Crucially, this issue is entirely separate from the recurring knee pain that disrupted the closing stages of Yildiz’s 2025-26 campaign.
Replacement Options Identified
Despite losing one of their primary attacking threats, Juventus are unlikely to enter the transfer market to secure a direct replacement. The summer window remains open for another week, but the Bianconeri hierarchy is confident in existing squad depth.
Manager Luciano Spalletti can call upon summer signing Kerim Alajbegovic or Jeremie Boga, whose loan from OGC Nice was made permanent earlier this summer, to fill the void on the flanks. The club is, however, still seeking to recruit a physical centre-forward to compete with Randal Kolo Muani, with Alexander Sorloth understood to be the preferred target.
Defensive Reinforcements Return
Amid the disappointment over Yildiz, Juventus have received positive injury news regarding two defensive figures. Federico Gatti and summer signing Jeff Ekhator have both returned to training following recent lay-offs.
Ekhator had been sidelined shortly after joining from Genoa in July, while Gatti missed the Frosinone fixture after a freak incident during a friendly against the Next Gen side saw him accidentally tackled from behind by a supporter. Both players are now pushing to be involved in Saturday’s home fixture against Parma, which kicks off at 19:45 BST.
Yildiz’s absence means he will definitely miss the Parma match and several subsequent Serie A engagements as Spalletti attempts to build momentum following the winning start to the 2026-27 campaign.