Lyon’s French forward Karl Toko Ekambi (L) fights for the ball with Juventus’ Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match between Juventus and Olympique Lyonnais (OL), played behind closed doors due to the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus, at the Juventus stadium, in Turin , on August 7, 2020. (Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP)

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt will miss the start of next season after undergoing shoulder surgery which will sideline him for three months, the club said Wednesday.

De Ligt spent his 21st birthday undergoing “stabilisation surgery on his right shoulder” in Rome, the club said, adding that the procedure was “a complete success”.

“The estimated recovery time is approximately three months,” Juventus said with the new season set to get underway on September 19.

De Ligt moved from Ajax Amsterdam, who he captained to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018-2019, to Turin at the start of last season for a fee of around 75 million euros ($82 million).

After a clumsy start to life in Turin with penalities conceded because of handballs the Dutch international often saved the club, particularly in the title run-in after the lockdown, with veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini out for much of the season injured.

Juventus will be chasing a 10th successive Serie A title next season.

-AFP