When it rains, it pours. The 2-2 draw with Rennes leaves a complicated injury picture that directly shapes the five-match block Spalletti has been told represents the critical test of the project’s survival. Zeki Çelik and Nico González, two of the manager’s most important and versatile players, have both sustained low-grade muscle injuries in the same match and are both confirmed absent until after the November international break.
The Injuries — Official Diagnoses From J-Medical
Çelik — who scored the opening goal against Rennes and was substituted at the end of the first half — has been diagnosed with a low-grade tear of the left biceps femoris muscle. The hamstring family. The kind of injury that cannot be rushed without risking escalation.
González — who came on effectively in the second half, won the penalty that Woltemade converted for the 2-2, and was therefore one of the most impactful contributors of the evening despite his substitute role — has sustained a low-grade tear of the right soleus muscle. A calf/lower leg injury, different location from Çelik but comparable severity and timeline.
Both players have already begun their rehabilitation programmes at the Continassa.
The Timeline — Five Matches Without Either Player
The Juventus communiqué and Calciomercato.com’s reporting are explicit about the expected absence period. Neither Çelik nor González will be available for any of the following five fixtures: Lecce away (Saturday 25 October, 18:00), Genoa away (Tuesday 28 October, 20:45), Napoli at home (Saturday 1 November, 20:45), AZ Alkmaar away in Europa League (Thursday 5 November, 21:00), Fiorentina away (Saturday 8 November, 20:45). The target return is Juventus-Venezia on 22 November — the first match after the international break.
What This Means for Spalletti
The loss of González is the more tactically disruptive of the two. The Argentine has been the squad’s most consistent performer across the season, the player Spalletti said he “cannot restart without,” the player whose contract renewal to 2030 at €3.6m was signed in October as a statement of institutional confidence. His versatility — first-choice second striker alongside Kolo Muani, capable wide player in the 3-5-2, the best header in the squad — meant that almost every tactical configuration Spalletti was building depended on him being available. Five matches without him is a structural problem of the highest order.
The loss of Çelik is the more immediately practical problem in terms of squad depth at right wing-back and right-side central defender in the 3-5-2. Cambiaso and Cabal are the available options. Cabal — who has returned to training and was targeting the squad — now moves up the depth chart of necessity rather than opportunity.
The injury list entering the critical November block now reads: Yıldız (December), Thuram (early 2027), Locatelli (spring 2027), Conceição (November international break), Çelik (November international break), González (November international break), Grabara (season over), Ekhator (returning). The gap between this squad’s available quality and what Spalletti needs to win five of six matches is the starkest it has been all season.
