Monza lose captain Pessina to knee injury

The blow

Juric offered no specific diagnosis and no concrete return date when addressing the media, according to Football Italia and Corriere dello Sport. 'For a while' is the kind of phrase that covers everything from six weeks to six months, and until Monza release a formal update, the full picture remains unclear. What is clear: their captain is gone, and the season has only just started.

Pessina has captained Monza through every division of their rise; replacing that influence isn't a tactical tweak, it's a rebuild. He is the player Juric's system routes through — losing him in the opening weeks means the head coach is already working from a different blueprint.

What Juric has to work with

The timing makes it harder. Pre-season is done, squads are set, and the window for reinforcements is narrowing. Juric will need to redistribute responsibility across a group that has just had its focal point removed. In midfield, the options behind Pessina are thin — Giulio Donati and Dany Mota can carry ball, but neither offers the same creative authority or leadership weight. That is the gap Juric has to paper over, starting now.

A formal diagnosis and a clearer timeline are still to come. Until then, Pessina is out, Juric is adapting, and Monza are starting the season a captain short.

Juric did not look like a man who had good news to deliver. He didn't.