Juventus duo Caceres and Pepe expected to miss start of season

Jul 23, 2012 2:00:00 PM

The Uruguay international has suffered knee ligament damage, but it is not as bad as initially feared, while his Italian colleague has been sidelined with a thigh injury

Juventus could be without both Martin Caceres and Simone Pepe for the start of their Serie A title defence.

The pair picked up injuries in Saturday's Trofeo TIM clash with AC Milan in Bari and it was initially feared that Caceres could be facing a lengthy spell on the treatment table.

But while Juve have not yet established how long the defender will be out of action, according to the club's official website, the damage is not as bad as first thought and there is speculation that the former Sevilla man could return at some stage in September.

"The Uruguayan was this morning [Monday] given an MRI scan and an orthopaedic examination by Professor Quaglia at the Fornaca clinic in Turin," a club statement read.

"These tests displayed a first-second degree tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee."

As for Pepe, it is believed that the winger should also be fit to return to action in a matter of weeks, rather than months.

"The midfielder, assessed by Doctor Ganzit at the city’s Medicina dello Sport, underwent an ultrasound scan which showed a first degree tear of the semimembranosus muscle in his left thigh," the statement continued.

The 2012-13 Serie A campaign kicks on the weekend of August 25.

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