The French-born versatile defender was substituted after quarter-of-an-hour because of a thigh injury during last month’s Champions League defeat to Benfica.
Kalulu slipped awkwardly in his attempt to clear the danger, and was immediately replaced by Manuel Locatelli. Juve’s makeshift backline were unable to deal with the Portuguese giants.
Juventus conceded once Kalulu left the pitch, with boos ringing all around the Allianz Stadium after the final whistle as the hosts tasted a 2-0 reversal.
Tests revealed a low-grade lesion in the right thigh. Head coach Thiago Motta was forced to revamp his defence without Kalulu, a regular since October with 19 Serie A games since joining from AC Milan.
Since Kalulu’s slip, Motta has returned the Bianconeri to winning ways with victories over Empoli, Como, PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan.
This winning streak, without Kalulu, means that the backline seems more settled and the entire team is brimming with a new-found confidence.
Kalulu will not earn an automatic starting berth when he is match fit, and could be eased back into the team against Hellas Verona on 2 March, rather than tackle highfliers Atalanta or Fiorentina.
He can be utilised at center-back and right-back, which is why Juve secured him on a season-long loan with an option to buy for €12 million (US$12.6m).
However, Kalulu’s latest injury could scupper a deal between the two Serie A giants if he is kept out of the starting line-up.
Various injuries last season restricted Kalulu to just 11 appearances in a Milan jersey, with the club aiming to make a profit on a player that they plucked out of Lyon’s youth academy in 2020 for €1.3m (US$1.36m).
With center-back Gleison Bremer and left-back Juan Cabal both sidelined all season because of an ACL injury, Kalulu needs to take every opportunity to impress upon Motta that he has a future at Juventus.
Kalulu linked up well with Federico Gatti until falling prey of injury, yet the Bianconeri have hit a rich vein of form since the French ace’s enforced absence.
Renato Veiga, who arrived on a short-term loan last month, has slotted into a promising partnership with Gatti. Kalulu will no doubt be delighted that Veiga will definitely be returning to Chelsea during the summer.
Without Kalulu, Motta’s men have only conceded three goals in their four matches.
There are more games that he will miss this month. Juve tackle PSV on Wednesday, face a Serie A trip to Cagliari at the weekend and polish off February with the visit of Empoli in a midweek Coppa Italia contest.
Juve’s defensive displays in their next two matches should determine whether Kalulu will become a regular starter or be named on the bench.
If there are any flaws then Kalulu may get the nod to start the cup game on 28 February, in order to sharpen his skills or for Motta to rest key players.
Should lightning strike twice for Kalulu, with injury ruining his chances of being an integral part of the Juventus team, then he could be returning back to Milan in the summer rather than re-establishing himself as part of Motta’s long-term plans.