According to a reputable media report out of Italy, USMNT star midfielder Weston McKennie will miss approximately four weeks after dislocating his shoulder during the final training session of their US tour.
Juventus played their their and final game of the pre-season exhibition tour through the US in the Rose Bowl on Saturday night, however McKennie was mysteriously left off of the roster of players available for selection against Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Rumors had surfaced on social of a shoulder injury being the culprit, and these fears were all but confirmed on Sunday morning.
According to highly reputable Italian media outlet La Gazzeta dello Sport, McKennie dislocated his left shoulder in the final training session before their game against the Spanish Champions.
The report puts the initial estimate of his time out at four weeks, however adds that a full evaluation will be made when the team is back in Turin. The team is set to fly back to Italy on Sunday, so more information can be expected from the club in the coming days.
With new acquisition Paul Pogba having injured his meniscus on the tour, McKennie was set to take on a more prominent role than originally expected in the Juventus midfield to start the season.
However, should the suggested time estimate be accurate, he is likely to miss at least the first four games of their Serie A campaign, and possibly more depending on the severity.
This is the latest setback in what has been a difficult year, health-wise, for the Texan. He was forced to miss several games in late-2021 due to a knee injury, then sat out the final three months of the season after breaking his foot in February.
The United States is also set to play its final two pre-Qatar warm-up friendly matches against Japan and Saudi Arabia in late-September. While even a pessimistic six-week timeline for his return would have McKennie available for at least a pair of games before the international break begins, it could still impact his ability to play a central role in both games alongside the rest of the presumed first-team selections of Gregg Berhalter.
Juventus still have a final pre-season game against Atletico Madrid next Sunday in Tel Aviv, then begin their Serie A campaign on Monday, August 15 at home against Sassuolo.
