Poulsen out for a month with broken leg

Juventus’s injury problems continue to mount after the club revealed Monday that Denmark midfielder Christian Poulsen will miss a month after fracturing his fibula during Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to AC Milan.

Juve were already without fellow defensive midfielder Mohamed Sissoko, away on African Nations Cup duty but not fully fit anyway, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, winger Mauro Camoranesi and strikers Vincenzo Iaquinta and David Trezeguet.

And following tests on Monday morning Poulsen was diagnosed with a fracture and Italian press speculate it will be two months before he is match-fit.

The news is unwelcome in Turin where the Italian giants are in crisis having lost six of their last eight matches in all competitions.

They now sit 12 points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan and were dumped out of the Champions League in December following a 4-1 home defeat to Bayern Munich.

Coach Ciro Ferrara’s job is rumoured to be on the line but sports director Alessio Secco refused to comment when he told reporters ahead of a football-related meeting in Rome: “I have no comment to make, this is not a time for words but for actions.”

Ferrara missed the meeting that is supposed to be held between coaches, captains and referees at the halfway point of the season.

Juve captain Alessandro Del Piero was also missing as Juve were represented by Secco and young Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio.