Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini expressed his relief after being told he will only be sidelined for a month following a knee injury sustained during his side's 4-1 defeat to AC Milan on Sunday.
Chiellini was in tears as he was taken from the pitch on a stretcher in the 37th minute of the Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi - an annual friendly match between the two clubs - following a clash with Gennaro Gattuso.
Initial reports suggested the 24-year-old could be looking at a lay-off of up to six months, but medical tests have proved those fears unfounded, allowing Chiellini to heave a sigh of relief.
"A huge weight has been taken away," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "After the pain and the feelings of yesterday night I feared that I had compromised my season.
"The possibility that my cruciate had been affected was the part that worried me the most.
"Now I will train on my own for a month, but I am happy because I will only miss a few games and at the end of September I am counting on being on the pitch."
Initial reports suggested the 24-year-old could be looking at a lay-off of up to six months, but medical tests have proved those fears unfounded, allowing Chiellini to heave a sigh of relief.
"A huge weight has been taken away," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "After the pain and the feelings of yesterday night I feared that I had compromised my season.
"The possibility that my cruciate had been affected was the part that worried me the most.
"Now I will train on my own for a month, but I am happy because I will only miss a few games and at the end of September I am counting on being on the pitch."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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