Last summer, Arthur Melo arrived from Barcelona with great expectations following a glamorous swap deal with Miralem Pjanic.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, his first season with Juventus turned out to be a disappointing one. The midfielder struggled to adapt earlier in the campaign, and once he cemented himself a starting role in mid-season, a rare physical issued plagued the rest of his campaign.

Since February, Arthur has been suffering from a calcification in between the tibia and the fibula. In other words, he’s been in vast pain. The former Gremio man tried to treat it with shockwaves and other therapies, but the pain persisted.

The 24-year-old is currently working on his physical condition with his trainers while in vacation in Spain, before beginning his pre-season with the club in the middle of the month.

According to la Gazzetta dello Sport, the pre-season will present a chance for the player to test his physical condition. The club and the Brazilian are both hoping that the rest period he enjoyed following the conclusion of the last campaign would prove to be enough to naturally heal this rare condition.

However, if the pain persists, then a surgical operation could be the only solution left to treat the player’s leg.

Moreover, the report adds that Arthur must also work on convincing the returning Max Allegri, who could favor other midfielders.

The source believes that the manager should eventually give him a chance, but perhaps as a more advanced midfielder rather than a Regista.