Four Juventus players come back from international duty with injuries

You see, whenever there's a crucial stretch of games coming up, you want to be preparing for the return to the field, not dealing with the fact that some of your most important players will potentially be on the sidelines. Yet, in a season full of injuries upon injuries and then some more injuries thrown into the mix, this is where we're at.

Instead of laundry listing it, I'll just go ahead and pass along what Juventus' official website posted after Wednesday afternoon's training session that saw most of the team's bevy of international call-ups return to Turin.

Three days before the visit of Milan at Juventus Stadium, Massimiliano Allegri welcomed back the majority of his players to Vinovo from over a week of international duty. The only absentees this afternoon were Sami Khedira, who was granted a day of leave, and South American duo Paulo Dybala and Martin Caceres. The defender was substituted during Uruguay's 3-0 win against Chile last night after feeling pain in the flexor muscle of his right thigh and will undergo an MRI scan before returning to Italy.

Gigi Buffon and Stephan Lichtsteiner also complained of flexor muscle fatigue in their right thighs following matches with their respective countries. The goalkeeper will undergo medical tests to determine his availability for Saturday's contest against the Rossoneri. Meanwhile, the Swiss right-back's condition will be monitored again tomorrow after receiving therapy today. Tests await Mario Mandzukic too after the forward sprained his left ankle during Croatia's win over Russia.

New day, another couple of Juventus injuries to worry about. It's the same old song and dance. This 'Injury Watch 2015' stuff is getting tiresome. Oh so very tiresome.

No, not this New Day. (Although I like that New Day.) Just another day in the life of Juventus this season

We knew about Lichtsteiner needing injury evaluation after having to be subbed off early in Switzerland's game against Austria on Tuesday night. And you can say what you want about Cáceres getting injured because it seems like the guy can't go a couple of months these days without something happening that sends him back to the training room for more tests. But Buffon and Mandzukic, that's not something we expected to hear about when nearly all of those 17 internationals reconvened upon the Vinovo training fields.

As is the case with Lichtsteiner, the next couple of days will be huge for Mandzukic and Buffon. (Although Neto starting against Milan would probably squash some of those stupid rumors about him wanting to leave because he isn't playing. Like he didn't know what he was getting into, right?)

You better believe the "Buffon and Manzukic doubts for Milan!" headlines are already beginning. I won't link them, but they're there, so feel free to cruise around the internet if you so please to catch a glimpse of them.