The injury list at Juventus, already alarming in its length and significance, has grown longer on the final day of the transfer window. Jeff Ekhator — who had only just returned to the matchday squad after the hamstring problem sustained in the Basilea pre-season friendly in July — has been forced to stop training again following a muscle problem to his thigh during a sprint in Sunday morning’s session.
What Happened — and Why It Is Serious
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ekhator felt the problem whilst accelerating during the session at the Continassa and was immediately accompanied from the training pitch by the medical staff. He will undergo imaging examinations at the J-Medical centre during the day to establish the nature and extent of the injury — but the initial signals from the club are not encouraging. The words used by Gazzetta are the most precise indicator available: “a long absence is feared.”
For a player who has already spent the entirety of pre-season — from mid-July through to the opening weeks of August — working on an individual recovery programme after the first hamstring problem, sustaining a second muscular injury this early in the campaign represents a significant blow to his own development arc and to Juventus’s attacking options.
The Broader Context — an Injury Crisis That Is Reshaping the Window’s Final Hours
The timing of this latest development could not be more consequential. With the transfer window closing tonight at 8pm, Juventus are already managing the absences of Yıldız (foot fracture, surgery imminent), McKennie (muscular fatigue), and Thuram (patellofemoral syndrome requiring specialist consultation in Lyon). The prospect of Ekhator now joining that list — as a potentially extended absence rather than a short-term precaution — adds weight to the argument for completing the Pape Sarr deal before the deadline.
A squad that began the competitive season with such ambition and such structural depth is, on this final morning of the summer window, discovering the fragility that accompanies the best-laid plans. The medical examinations will tell Spalletti and Carnevali what they are working with. The clock, meanwhile, is running.
