Demiral's season is over & Euro 2020 is in doubt following ACL injury

Sunday night’s Roma v Juventus clash at the Stadio Olimpico has claimed its second victim of the season, with Bianconeri defender Merih Demiral out for the rest of the season after suffering an ACL injury. Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo also suffered the same injury in the same match and now both players’ participation in Euro 2020 is in serious doubt.

The 21-year-old Turkish international had been in a rich vein of form prior to Sunday’s game, so much so that he was keeping big summer signing from Ajax, Matthijs de Ligt, out of the starting XI. There were reports that Leicester City were interested in bringing him to the Premier League, but Demiral’s season ended 19 minutes into Juve’s 2-1 win in the Eternal city.

Demiral’s bad luck now means that de Ligt is likely to get a lifeline to try to prove to the Bianconeri tifosi that he is the real deal following an indifferent start to life in Serie A. Juve boss Maurizio Sarri has already been without Giorgio Chiellini since August, but the Italian international is understood to be on the road to recovery although he’s unlikely to be available before what could be a title showdown with Inter on March 1.