Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci Suffers Ankle Injury, Could Miss Atletico Madrid Tie

Juventus have suffered a huge blow ahead of their UEFA Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid after star defender Leonardo Bonucci was diagnosed with a sprained right ankle.

The Italy international left the pitch during the 2-1 win over Lazio with a visible limp, and the Bianconeri have now confirmed the nature of the injury.

While the club didn't give a timeline for his recovery, sportswriter Adam Digby said he could miss about a month of action:

That would rule him out of the first leg of the Champions League tie with Atletico, to be played on Wednesday, 20 February. If there are any complications or his recovery takes a little longer he could also miss the return leg in Turin.

Black & White & Read All Over shared Juventus' schedule for the coming weeks and the matches he could miss if the timeline is correct:

The 31-year-old started next to Daniele Rugani in the win over Lazio and Giorgio Chiellini replaced him after he picked up the knock. In all likelihood those two would form the preferred partnership until Bonucci returns.

The former fan-favourite rejoined the club from AC Milan in the summer and has battled to regain the love of the supporters all season long. Bonucci left the Bianconeri in the summer of 2017, and his departure left a bitter taste for many of the Bianconeri faithful.

It was assumed he could win their hearts back with some strong performances, but the veteran defender has struggled throughout the campaign. While his passing and creativity have been as good as ever―and the main reason why he's an almost automatic starter―his defensive work has been riddled with errors.

He and Chiellini have formed a strong pairing in the biggest matches, however, and losing one of those two experienced defenders is a massive blow. It also comes at a bad time with Medhi Benatia set to leave the club, as shared by sportswriter David Amoyal:

Andrea Barzagli has battled injuries himself this season, leaving the Italian champions short of options.

Manager Massimiliano Allegri has given plenty of opportunities to Rugani, and he has looked good when given the chance. He was among the standouts against Lazio and made this vital clearance that helped the team continue their unbeaten domestic run:

The former Empoli prospect is relatively untested in the Champions League, however, and he's now in line to get the start against a talented Atletico attack that includes the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa.

This injury has the potential to derail what has been an excellent season for the Bianconeri so far. While the attack led by Cristiano Ronaldo has scored at a solid pace, defence remains Juventus' biggest strength by a clear margin, and losing a key player for what will be the season's most important match so far is a serious blow.