Juve’s Koopmeiners suffers fractured rib

Juventus’ injury problems continued on Thursday after Teun Koopmeiners was found to have suffered a fractured rib during last weekend’s Serie A draw with Cagliari.

Netherlands midfielder Koopmeiners was substituted at half-time of Sunday’s 1-1 draw and Juve said that he underwent tests “following the persistence of the painful symptoms”.

Those tests “showed the presence of a slightly dislocated fracture of the second right anterior rib”.

Juve did not say for how long Koopmeiners would be sidelined, adding that “his recovery will be evaluated according to his symptoms”.

The 26-year-old, who signed for Juventus from Atalanta in August in a deal worth up to 60.7 million euros ($66.4 million), could be out for as long as four weeks.

That would rule him out of Juve’s trip to fierce rivals and reigning Serie A champions Inter Milan later this month.

Koopmeiners’ layoff is the latest to hit coach Thiago Motta, who last week lost key defender Gleison Bremer to an anterior cruciate ligament injury which could keep the Brazil defender out for the rest of the season.

Also on Juve’s treatment table are wingers Nicolas Gonzalez and Timothy Weah and striker Arkadiusz Milik, who has had persistent problems with his left knee.

Juventus are third in Serie A, three points behind league leaders Napoli and level with their next opponents Lazio.