Claudio Marchisio Injury: Updates on Juventus and Italy Star's Knee and Return

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has returned to action after it was feared his season was over with an ACL injury. He made the start against Fiorentina on Tuesday.

Continue for updates.

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Marchisio Makes Juventus Return

Tuesday, April 7

Marchisio started for Juventus against Fiorentina, the club announced.

Juventus reported on April 4 that Marchisio should be fit for Tuesday's match.

On April 3, Juventus' official Twitter feed passed along quotes from manager Massimiliano Allegri, who said ""What's important is that @ClaMarchisio8's in good shape and available, if not tomorrow then next week." 

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Italy Medic Discusses Marchisio

Saturday, March 28

Italian national team medic Enrico Castellacci discussed the events surrounding Marchisio's injury, according to Corierre Dello Sport (h/t Football Italia): 

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Initial tests announced a torn anterior cruciate ligament with subsequent stay on the sidelines for six to eight months.

Instead, just hours later Juventus medics performed another MRI that excluded lesions, so he could be back in two to three weeks.

“Marchisio had a serious sprain and told me he heard a nasty noise inside his knee,” Italy medic Professor Enrico Castellacci told the Corriere dello Sport.

“Just 10 minutes later we were at the Fanfani Institute. The tests showed the result you all know by now.

“I spoke to my colleagues in Turin, explained what happened and organised to send the lad straight to the club for further tests. Juve gave me the all-clear to make the diagnosis public.

“That night I contacted the Juve medics again before the Press conference. Now there are two contrasting test results.

“Naturally, I’d be very happy if the later test was confirmed. These are the facts.”

 

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Marchisio's Day-to-Day, No ACL Tear

Friday, March 27

Juventus reported a better prognosis than originally expected on Friday:

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After returning from international duty on Friday afternoon, Claudio Marchisio underwent medical examinations conducted by Juventus’ club doctors and Dr. Flavio Quaglia.

The 29-year-old then underwent an MRI scan on his right knee this evening. The tests, supervised by Dr. Carlo Faletti at Turin’s Fornaca Clinic, ruled positive, excluding the possibility of a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament.

Marchisio will now rest and his condition is to be monitored on a day-to-day basis.

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According to Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Football-Italia.net), the Bianconeri man suffered the injury while training with Italy at Coverciano. Football-Italia.net originally reported a torn ACL for the 29-year-old:

As we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com, he’s been critical to the Bianconeri cause so far this season:

They will be without Paul Pogba for a few weeks yet after he suffered a hamstring injury against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, while Andrea Pirlo has also been sidelined since late February with a calf injury.

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

Marchisio is hugely important to Juventus' success so it's a relief that he wasn't lost for a major length of time.