Juve defender faces long spell on sidelines

Milan: Juventus defender Stephan Lichsteiner could be facing a six-month spell on the sidelines for the Italian champions, according to a leading heart specialist. Juventus on Friday said Swiss international Lichsteiner would be absent “for 30 days” after undergoing a procedure to rectify cardiac arrhythmia, which was discovered after he suffered breathing problems two weeks ago. A leading heart specialist, Bruno Caru, said in an interview with Il Corriere dello Sport that Lichsteiner could be forced to sit out for several months. “The law says a player must wait six months before returning to the pitch to guage his reaction to the operation and the disappearance of the [cardiac] arrhythmia has to be evaluated,” said Caru.