TURIN. Italy. Nov 10: Juventus hopes of retaining their league title suffered a hammer blow on Monday when star striker Alessandro del Pelro was told that his season is all but over due to a knee injury, reports AFP.
Tests here revealed Del Piero, who turned 24 on Monday. suffered cruciate ligament and tendon damage in his left knee when he collided with Udinese defender Marco Zanchi at the end of Sunday's 2-2 draw.
He cannot play for at least five months, which realistically means he is out until May al the earliest. The Serie A season finishes on May 23.
A further examination will be carried out in a week, once the swelling has gone down, to determine whether surgery is needed.
Del Piero, smiling and up- , beat, said that team doctor Riccardo Agricola had described the injury by saying "it's like a
pair of trousers that are held up at different points by a belt, braces, button etc and if all these become weakened, there's the chance of them falling down.
"Yesterday I was really depressed. partly because my knee was really hurting me. Now I'm more relieved, because it could have been worse."
Del Pelro held out no hope off an early repreieve by going under the knife.
"Having surgery would not shorten the recovery period." he said. "You have to expect certain things in the life of a footballer.
"I've had great support though from everyone in the club? that included telephone calls from owners Gianni and Umberto Agnelli.
Recalling the incident, he said: T wanted to hit the ball, but then there was an impact with Zanchi — who came to the dressing room straight after the match to see how I was — and there was contact by the two femur bones. My knee became over-stretched."
The injury brought an end to a bitter-sweet year for the gifted ball-player.
The 1997-98 season finished with a personal record of 31 goals but. carrying an injury, he played poorly as Juventus lost the European Cup final 1-0 to Real Madrid.
He recovered during the World Cup finals but then flopped badly, his failure to score costing Italy a quarterfinal exit against eventual winners France.
His return to Italy was overshadowed by insinuations of doping against him by AS Roma coach Zdenek Zeman — accusations which prompted him to take legal action — and a goal drought which only recently ended.
His injury spells big trouble not Just for Juventus, as they try to reach a fourth consecutive European Cup final and retain the league title, but also for Italy as they try to qualify for the European Championships in 2000.
Del Piero scored both goals in Italy's 2-0 win over Switzerland last month at Udine in the very stadium where he suffered Sunday's injury, but will now miss their next two games in March against Denmark and Belorussia.
The injury will almost certainly prompt Juventus to return to the transfer market — the Turin club have in the past been linked with England captain Alan Shearer while Italy will have to turn to Roberto Baggio.