Gianluigi Buffon is likely to miss the start of the new Serie A campaign after undergoing surgery on his back injury.
The Juventus and Italy goalkeeper suffered a herniated disc when playing for the Azzurri in their World Cup opener against eventual quarter-finalists Paraguay and is expected to be in the treatment room for around three months.
"I think between six and eight weeks will be needed for Buffon to begin rehabilitation and at least three months for him to return to playing," Maurizio Fornari, head of neurosurgery at the Galeazzi orthopaedic institute in Milan said.
"The surgery went very well and was needed to take the hernia in a less invasive manner in order to free the nerve that was suffering."
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old added: "I have had a big weight taken off my shoulders.
"Perhaps I should have done this before considering I have had this problem since the beginning of 2008. But everything has gone well and this gives me peace of mind and confidence.
"Now I must not be in a hurry to get back. I need to take the necessary time to return without any risk of having a recurrence."