Stephan Lichtsteiner Underlines His Importance to Juventus After Surgery

Since returning to the starting line-up recently, Stephan Lichtsteiner has once again underlined his importance to Juventus, with the Swiss full-back as vital as ever to the success of Italian football’s grand Old Lady.

Indeed, when he took to the field against Borussia Monchengladbach, he did so little over a month after undergoing surgery to correct what the club’s official website described as “a benign cardiac arrhythmia” or atrial flutter.

The issue was diagnosed shortly after Juve’s game with Frosinone in late September, a match which saw Lichtsteiner substituted at half-time after a heavy collision resulted in him suffering with breathing difficulties.

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The operation took place on October 2, with that aforementioned report from Juventus indicating he would need 30 days to recover. That schedule was deemed outlandish in some quarters, with Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) interviewing cardiologist Bruno Caru, who insisted the player would miss six months of action.

Almost immediately, the Bianconeri refuted that claim, publishing quotes from professor Fiorenzo Gaita—the man who performed the operation—on their website.

He reaffirmed the diagnosis that Lichsteiner would need 30 days, saying the practice was "very common" and "the first choice of athletes" suffering from cardiac arrhythmia.

The 31-year-old would stick to that timetable perfectly, returning to training on November 1, just two days before Juve’s Champions League clash at Gladbach. A surprise inclusion in Massimiliano Allegri’s squad for that trip, not only would he make the trip to Germany but the coach would subsequently name him in his starting XI.

Just as he has done since joining the Turin giants from Lazio back in the summer of 2011, Lichtsteiner would deliver a thoroughly assured performance, patrolling the right flank diligently throughout.

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Playing the entire 90 minutes, statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com show he recorded two interceptions, two clearances and one blocked shot. He also connected with 21 passes as he pressed forward to support the attack whenever possible, despite his first instinct always being to defend.

But his key contribution would come in the 44th minute, as Paul Pogba picked him out with a wonderful ball over the defence that Lichtsteiner struck with a perfectly timed volley past goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

That goal helped Juve to secure a 1-1 draw and a vital point, particularly after Hernanes was dismissed for a woeful second-half challenge, but the Switzerland international still appeared disappointed after the final whistle.

“I had not even dreamed of a game like this. I just wanted to win,” he told Mediaset Premium as he left the field (h/t Football Italia). “It was important for me to be back straight away, despite having just two training sessions with the group. This is still a very delicate time. It was important for me to give the team a helping hand.”

Having suffered some disappointing results this season, Lichtsteiner’s return would provide a genuine boost, retaining his place for the win over Empoli just a few days later. Looking as if he’d never been away, that game saw the Bianconeri record back-to-back victories in Serie A for the first time in 2015/16.

His return not only provides Allegri with another reliable performer in defence, but also sees the team recover one of its leaders.

It is incredible to think that, despite only joining the club four years ago, only five players—Claudio Marchisio, Gigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli—have been with the Bianconeri longer.

Clearly as important to performances on the field as perhaps all but Buffon, Lichtsteiner’s defensive awareness should see them improve what has been a poor record thus far, keeping just six clean sheets in all competitions.

He may not always find himself on the scoresheet, but Lichtsteiner’s value to Juventus cannot be understated, a point he proves every time he steps on the pitch in those famous black-and-white stripes.