UPDATE – Goal.com is reporting that Felipe Melo will also be out for this weekend’s match against Sampdoria.

Two large Italian clubs received huge injury news today as they sought to climb up the Serie A table.

Juventus star and striker Vincent Iaquinta revealed today that he has a torn meniscus and will have surgery on his knee Tuesday.  He injured it during training Saturday and did not play this Sunday against Siena.  The injury is expected to keep him out at least a month, but speculation is that he could be out even longer.  The impact of this injury goes beyond Juventus however – Iaquinta is an Italian national team member and while he will likely be healed by South Africa, this injury could hinder him.  Additionally, Alessandro Del Piero is still out injured, meaning Juventus is missing two strikers.  The club will have to rely even more on Felipe Melo and Diego for offensive production over the next month, they of a combined 3 goals.

The second long-term injury announced this afternoon is former national and AS Roma star Francesco Totti, who has sat out the last three matches.  Totti will have surgery today on his right knee according to Goal.com, the same knee on which he had a ruptured cruciate ligament eighteen months ago.  There was some confusion in Rome as Totti originally had thought his visit to the team medical staff was routine, but the medical staff recommended immediate surgery on the knee.   The blow is major for Roma, as Totti is the club’s leading scorer, and in his absence Roma has scored one goal in the past two matches.  He will begin rehabilitation immediately however.

Two big names, two major injuries.  However I would argue that Juventus will miss its superstar most.  Even though they have Melo, Diego, and Trezeguet (as well as all-world Buffon in goal), the Bianconeri were already having trouble scoring goals and this injury will not help.  Plus losing an Iaquinta does not help when you are trailing Inter in Serie A and trying to advance in the Champions League.

But what do you think?

<br /> <a href=”http:\/\/answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2172628/” mce_href=”http:\/\/answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2172628/”>Which injury will have a bigger impact on their team?</a><span style=”font-size:9px;” mce_style=”font-size:9px;”>(<a href=”http:\/\/answers.polldaddy.com” mce_href=”http:\/\/answers.polldaddy.com”>polls</a>)</span><br />