Undergoing tests for the past days has resulted in a definitive answer for Andrea Pirlo. That final verdict, unfortunately, will leave Juventus without its No. 1 midfield maestro option for the next three weeks. Thank goodness to squad depth.
Juventus have announced that the 35-year-old Pirlo, who came off injured in the first half of Juve's 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, will miss the next three weeks with "a first grade tear" in the midfielder's right leg. It means Pirlo will miss Juventus' trip to the Stadio Olimpico for the top-of-the-table clash against Roma on Monday, as well as the first leg of the Coppa Italia showdown with Fiorentina next week.
The official word, courtesy of juventus.com:
Missing from today's workout was Andrea Pirlo, who underwent a series of tests after departing Tuesday's Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund early due to a calf injury. These revealed a first grade tear of the gastrocnemius muscle in the midfielder's right leg. He is expected to be fully recovered within 20 days.
While he is going miss some important games over the next three weeks, the timetable outlined by Juventus suggests that Pirlo will be available for Max Allegri when Juve travels to Germany for the second leg against Borussia Dortmund on March 18. Between now and then, Juventus will play four games — three in Serie A, and the aforementioned Coppa Italia tie at Juventus Stadium next Thursday night.
Could Pirlo's absence give an opportunity for, say, somebody like Stefano Sturaro to see some game action after his loan tenure with Genoa ended early last month? I hope so — at least in the Coppa Italia. It's pretty much a certainty that Claudio Marchisio will slide over into the regista role, with Roberto Pereyra coming into the starting lineup to take Pirlo's spot. At least, that's what happened the last time Pirlo missed time, and with all of those players healthy and available during this new injury absence, it's easy to think that it will be the plan of action once again.
And with the way Marchisio has played the last few months, the move to regista shouldn't be a problem at all. He's proven that he's more than capable there before, and I feel safe in saying he will prove vital there when he steps onto the Olimpico field against Roma in a couple of days.