Juventus' Joao Cancelo Underwent Knee Surgery, Won't Return Until 2019

Juventus will be without star full-back Joao Cancelo for the rest of 2018 after the former Valencia and Inter Milan man underwent surgery to repair a meniscus injury.

Manager Massimiliano Allegri said the trickster will be sidelined until after the winter break, meaning he'll miss both the Derby della Mole match against Torino and vital Serie A contests against AS Roma, Atalanta and Sampdoria:

As shared by sportswriter Adam Digby, the Bianconeri provided an update on Friday, informing their fans the surgery went well:

Cancelo is in his first season in Turin but has quickly made himself a crucial component of Allegri's team, playing at both right-back and left-back.

The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at Inter and moved to Turin from Valencia in the summer in a deal that was somewhat controversial at the time. Per the club's official website, Juventus spent over €40 million.

David Amoyal noted part of the controversy came from the fact the move was seen as necessary to land Cristiano Ronaldo as well, as both are represented by Jorge Mendes:

But Cancelo has arguably performed better than Ronaldo so far this season, consistently starring for the Old Lady. His menacing runs down the wing have been vital to the team's attack, and his defence has improved greatly in a short span of time.

He has also shown the versatility to move to the left wing, giving Allegri the chance to rest Alex Sandro while Leonardo Spinazzola recovered from injury. The latter could make his first appearance of the season in the coming weeks with just a few days separating the Atalanta and Sampdoria fixtures.

Mattia De Sciglio has been in excellent form of late, and he's expected to partner Sandro against Torino and Roma.