The Bianconero Injury Crisis Continues…

By: agiamba | October 10th, 2008

If you ask me (and Lippi) Juve’s principal problem right now is that we have so many injuries, so early in the campaign. It started with a few players out; Marchionni, Zanetti, and Zebina had moderate injuries during pre-season, and really spiraled as the season has started. Just as it seemed we might be rounding a corner, Juventus’ med chief Dr. Agricola announced that Buffon will be out, likely until December. As I said in the season-preview, Juve’s healthiness will make or break our season. And thus far, it’s not going well. When can we start doping again?

Rather than post about our internationals, here’s an update on our injury table.

Andrade- KOd as we all know. Let’s rescind his contract already.
Trezeguet- Rather than just one, he had operations on both knees. He explained it was for the best, saying it would prolong his career 4-5 years instead of ending up like Ronaldo. Planned return is sometime January 2009…not too long after Buffon will return.
Zebina- He’s been out since August, and he started training normally again. Should be prepared to go by the time Napoli rolls around.
De Ceglie- Sprained his ankle while training with the Azzurrini today, but it shouldn’t be anything serious.
Legrottaglie- Suffered a muscle strain during the game a week ago. Nicola Legrottaglie went back on the pitch for the first time, and will be intensifying his workload in the next few days. Will push to be ready for Napoli, but even if he’s ready he will probably be rested for the game against Real Madrid.
Zanetti- If anything, the current midfield situation proves how essential C. Zanetti has become to our team. A lot more than just a tough-tackling defensive midfielder, Poulsen has been baptized by fire thanks to C. Zanetti’s injury. Zanetti continues his personal training schedule on the pitch and will be intensifying his workload in the next seven days. We’re still looking at two-three weeks on him, I imagine. And then it’ll be some time until he’s in form again.
Camoranesi- There is good news! Camoranesi was examined and according to Juventus.com, “Camoranesi isn’t feeling any pain in the area where he suffered the muscle problem against Palermo. He could be able to start training again early next week.” Should be sort of ready to go after the international break.
Iaquinta- Iaquinta is back to full training on the pitch, so he’ll certainly be ready after the international break. Per non guffare, there is zero chance he won’t be prepared.
Mellberg- Olof (still love his name) did a bit of running in the gym today but isn’t quite ready for full training yet. He should be alright after the break though.
And of course, Buffon- As for Buffon’s muscle problem, an ultrasound scan confirmed the diagnosis of a second-degree lesion and also the prognosis made by Italy’s doctors: it will take four weeks to heal. As soon as possible during these four weeks the player will begin physiotherapy coupled with a personal training regime, and will be able to gradually get back training with the team once he has fully recovered. He will be able to play official matches a few weeks after this. Shoddy journalism as expected by Goal.com, who reported it’s a reoccurance of his back problem from last year. It is not.

No word on Grygera’s tooth.

In Manninger we trust.

Some Related Juventus Posts:

Category: Team News

« Well, at least we’re not Atletico Madrid | Home | Camoranesi’s Shaky Again, So What About Marchionni? »

agiamba

Alessandro, other than Sissoko, the other 3 are reserves, not starting players. You can't fork out 30million euros for a reserve player. For the money, we got great backup.
KJ

I cannot see the future, but garbage isn't hard to see or smell
KJ

Whoops, forgot the K
J

Johonna, sorry, when I reread that, it was total asshole. I save that for the Romanistas.

Ale, a Juve scudetto? Well, I certainly didnt want to pick Inter again.
alessandro d'agostino

i think you are all missing the point. poulsen, sissoko, knezivec, mellberg are not juve standard. and neither is ranieri a coach that hasnt won anything important and is notorious for making bad subs. all this comes down to is the management namely gigli, elkann and secco etc. they are not worthy of juve it is as simple as that.
ursus arctos

Fadayn, Jorgensen is now taking art history classes, and Koldrup took Italian culture classes (I don't know if he still is doing so).
Johonna

And KJ, ouch!
Johonna

Im just saying, sometimes a player needs a few months to settle in. How would you like it if you were judged solely on your first week at a new job?
Fadayn

ursus - what did they (jorgensen and kroldrup) take in uni in firenze? thats interesting
agiamba

Johonna, KJ can see the future.....KJ, still betting on that bianconero scudetto?
ursus arctos

MAD: Suarez was still at Barcelona when he won the Balon d'Or in 1960. He had been instrumental in their winning the Liga/Copa double in 1958-59 and the Liga/Fairs Cup double in 1959-60. He didn't join Inter until the beginning of the 1961-62 season (having been signed by Helenio Herrera for what was then a world record fee). He's also managed Inter three times (twice as a caretaker) and appears pretty frequently on Italian television.

One of the theories about why Scandinavians tend to be more successful in more countries is that they are good at languages and grow up with more of an appreciation of and exposure to the world outside their home country. They thus find it easier to integrate no matter where they end up footballwise. Putting on my Viola hat for a second, it's been striking just how much Kroldrup and (especially) Jorgensen have thrown themselves into Florentine culture; they both have taken classes at the university and seem really to be interested in building a life in Florence after they retire.
alessandro d'agostino

and i can talk about players because i have watched calcio all life and know when i see a merda player
KJ

Well, Johonna, I guess thats why some are smarter than others
Johonna

I like how everyone is talking about how players have been "all season long." What, we are coming up to matchday 7 or something... Oh, and 2 champions league games. How on earth can you tell anything from that?
ricci

If you find that article Alessio please post it. Sounds like a very interesting read.
KJ

haha, I forgot about Zanetti
agiamba

MAD: Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking. Portuguese aren't known for doing too well in Italy either, and those concerns were brought up when we signed Tiago and Andrade. Neither worked out too well, but obviously Andrade can get a pass on that for different reasons. It was brought up this summer when we were heavily linked with Xabi Alonso, made me wary. There was a very interesting article about why certain nationalities have succeeded in certain countries or not, I should find it. It said Scandanavian/Northern-Europe players were the most likely to succeed anywhere.

KJ, way too early to call him a flop. This guy was brought in as backup for Cristiano Zanetti, remember, and because of C. Zanetti's injury he's been thrown in early. At least he produces something on the field, unlike Winston Bogarde our moping Portuguese midfielder. He's succeeded in Spain, Germany, internationally, in Denmark...he'll succeed here. Just needs some time, but JESUS CHRIST WHERE THE HELL IS CRISTIANO ZANETTI.
alessandro d'agostino

i have watched all juve matches and poulsen, sissoko mellberg and even del piero have been terrible this season. (apart from dels couple free kicks) but the signings made over last couple of seasons have been terrible
MAD

As far as I can remember when I read about the guy, the last (only?) Spaniard to do well in Serie A was (I think his first name is Luis) Suarez who played for Inter and Sampdoria in the sixties and early seventies.

He scored something like 50 goals for Inter in about a decade and was a regular midfielder in the lineup of a multi-championship team. He was also European Footballer of the Year one year, but I have no idea if that was while he was in Italy.
KJ

So, since we're on break, how big of a bust has Poulsen been? Do you you guys have a different option
alessandro d'agostino

if he keeps going the way he is he will be able to tackle, pass and shoot like de rossi and what juventus are missing is a player in the middle who dictates the tempo of game, in the future montolivo and marchisio would be best central partnership in europe even montolivo gets in on a tackle!
agiamba

He's not a DM, he's more of an all-around CM. Time and time again has shown you can't have two passers on the same team. He's playing as our ball distributer for now.
alessandro d'agostino

marchisio is a dm! he tackles and passes thats why it would be brilliant marchisio is an all round player like de rossi
agiamba

A Xabi Alonso-Marchisio or Montolivo-Marchisio center-mid partnership would be awful, voyeur. They are too similar of players and would get into each others way. If you play one of them, you have to have a DM alongside.
agiamba

Current rumors are that Yaya Toure has pleaded with Juve to buy him, “I want to go to Juve,” Touré stressed. “It is a huge opportunity for me, even if I would miss the Champions League. “It's a chance I can't afford to let slip and I don't want to miss out for any reason. In a month or at most a month and a half I will know what is going on with me and Barça.”

Also supposedly this is what Xabi Alonso has recently said- “Juventus are Juventus and they are the most important club in Italy," Alonso explained. “Certain things happened in the summer and I appreciated the honesty of the directors at the club. They told me that the position they wanted would need me to do different things on the pitch and that they had decided for Poulsen instead of me. These things happen in football. I could've signed for Juve but I didn't because they went with someone else. However, to be honest, the attraction on my part has remained intact. I like the way that Juve have been building, I like the directors and everything else there.”

Take it all with a grain of salt, but I do think there's truth to the rumors. Way too early to call Poulsen a flop, remember we bought him as cover for C. Zanetti but he was thrown into the fire because of his injury. He's succeeded in two big leagues and internationally, he just needs time to adapt. About Alonso, when was the last Spaniard to succeed in Italy?
alessandro d'agostino

now i hear juve linked to yaya toure how many defensive midfielders does ranieri want?!!! even though xabi alonso says he wants to join juve him and marchisio would be amazing or marchisio montolivo would be better! does this mean sissoko and poulsen are flops because they have been terrible all season?
agiamba

if you do and take pictures/vids, give me a buzz, id love to throw them into a post.
Fadayn

cool, we'll see and i'll let you know if I make it
agiamba

Fadayn, that's awesome, that's going to be a killer game. You can pick tickets up at the Stadio, online at Juventus.com, or at one of the newsstands throughout the city, they usually have them. Juventus-Roma you might want to buy in advance, might sell out.
Fadayn

Alessio - i might be in torino the day of the Juve-Roma game with some neutral friends, any idea how easy it is to pick up tickets on the day (if at all) or where to buy some in advance? (you can leave any advice on the Chris's blog I feel a bit chilly in here :) )
adam

And its really good that we got Poulsen instead of Alonso. According to Ranieri Alonso is too slow.
adam

Mike I agree with you but you gotta admit Ranieri knows how to get a draw.
mike

Has anyone seen how Giovinco and Marchisio played today with the U21?
Today Chiellini was impeccable for Italy and Gee how I'd like to see Giuseppe Rossi in Bianconero one day! BTW, it wasn't really Ranieri that saved Parma from relegation in '06, it was Rossi with his 9 goals, most of them decisive, in less than 3 months with Parma.
agiamba

Team work and fun in Vinovo

A relaxed, fun atmosphere reigned today in Vinovo during the last training session of the week. The squad, comprising only eight men, took the pitch at around 10.30 this morning, just in time to cross Nicola Legrottaglie who had ran a little before going back inside to undergo treatments. Amauri, Chimenti, Del Piero, Marchionni, Molinaro, Nedved, Salihamidzic and Tiago warmed up first, and then played a series of very intense football-tennis matches: on one side, Molinaro, Nedved, Salihamidzic and Tiago, on the other Amauri, Chimenti, Del Piero and Marchionni. The matches were hard-fought and spectacular, with Alex showing some fine overhead kicks and Chimenti surprising everyone with his back-heels. In the end though it was Nedved's team's solidity that prevailed and it all ended with the players hugging, watched by an amused Ranieri and his staff; the Manager, seeing how involved the players were, had let them continue their football-tennis and scrapped the final training football match. It was a nice way to end the week. The team will gather again on Tuesday afternoon, when Poulsen and Sissoko will also join the others after their international engagements.
agiamba

I think last season Manninger proved beyond all doubt to be a very capable No. 2, stonewalling us and Inter at Siena, just off of the top of my head. While he may not be Gigi, it's hard to ask for a better backup. I'm not worried.
Matthew

That's good to hear about Mauro.

Manninger will be alright I think. I've heard a lot of "he's no buffon" which is true but something people need to get past. He's our number 2.
roberto

"no word on Grygera's tooth" hahahaha
Marco Pantanella

In Manninger we trust indeed. He's got Buffon's blessing. Good 'nuff for me.
Johonna

Maybe they should all try some of that calf-blood goo (Actovegin) Bayern Munich was trying to give to Vieira. It is banned in France but probably not in Italy.
agiamba

Well, at least we're fixing the "injury" to our stadium.
You'll all be happy to know that the god awful pitch we had is being replaced, I guess the international break is good for something. 120 matches since it's been changed, must be 5, 6 years at least. Work started the morning after the Palermo game and it'll be good to go by our next game.
http://juventus.com/site/ita/N...