Juventus have suffered a blow ahead of the start of their Serie A title defence with news that veteran playmaker Andrea Pirlo will be sidelined for a month.

The Italy international suffered a hip injury during Saturday’s Tim Trophy tournament and subsequent tests have revealed the extent of the problem.

A Juve statement read: “Andrea Pirlo underwent an MRI scan to assess the full extent of the damage sustained after picking up a bruised hip during Saturday’s TIM trophy.

“The scan revealed a pulled tendon in his rectus femoris muscle, an injury which is expected to keep him sidelined for 30 days.

“The midfielder will continue his rehabilitation programme and undergo further tests in 15 days’ time.”

The 35-year-old will sit out five league games, including tomorrow’s Serie A opener at Chievo, but could return for Juve’s home game against Roma on October 5.

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