Chiellini out 6 months after undergoing knee surgery

Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini will miss around six months after undergoing successful knee surgery on Tuesday.

The club confirmed Chiellini, 35, needed a procedure to repair the ACL in his right knee, which he injured during a training session late last week.

Chiellini can therefore expect to return sometime in March. Should Juventus reach the knockout round of the Champions League, he could make an appearance in the second leg of the round of 16.

In the meantime, manager Maurizio Sarri will have Matthijs De Ligt, Leonardo Bonucci, Merih Demiral, and Daniele Rugani at his disposal. Summer signing Danilo can also deputize as a center-back.

Rugani replaced Chiellini in Sarri's Champions League squad for the upcoming group stage.