Zaniolo Surgery Udinese Successful as Return Date Targeted
Nicolò Zaniolo undergoes successful knee surgery and begins rehab. Udinese expect him back in February after missing three key Serie A matches.
Andrea Locorotondo
Updated on 13 January 2026
Zaniolo Surgery Udinese Confirmed Successful
Good news for Udinese. The Zebrette have confirmed that Nicolò Zaniolo’s surgery was a complete success.
According to the club’s official press release, Professor Mariani performed a meniscus clean-up on his right knee at the Villa Stuart clinic in Rome.
Zaniolo will begin his recovery process immediately, and is expected to return to the pitch in about three weeks.
He will miss the matches against Inter, Hellas Verona and Roma (two of which would have been against his former club), and is aiming to return for the match against Lecce on 8 February.
Return Timeline and Matches He Will Miss
Udinese breathed a sigh of relief after Nicolò Zaniolo underwent surgery.
The meniscus clean-up operation on his right knee, performed yesterday at the Villa Stuart clinic in Rome by Professor Pierpaolo Mariani, was a complete success, according to the Friuli club. Zaniolo will begin his rehabilitation program today.
Although no official prognosis has been given, it is expected that Zaniolo will miss the next three matches: the home game against Inter, the away game in Verona, and the match at the Bluenergy Arena against Roma.
The aim is to have him back on the pitch by 8 February, when Udinese will be playing in Lecce.
Zaniolo first experienced discomfort in his knee on the eve of the match against Torino, but the coaches still used the former Roma and Fiorentina player for an hour against both the Granata and in the last match against Pisa.
The enforced break will now allow the problem to be resolved definitively.
Udinese Adjust Plans During Zaniolo Absence
Arthur Atta is expected to replace Zaniolo in Saturday’s match against Inter, having already played in that position against Pisa.
Attention should also be paid to Iker Bravo, who is competing with Davis for a place in the attacking duo. Udinese is reorganising itself in anticipation of the return of its number ten.
It will be interesting to see how Zaniolo recovers. Napoli have set their sights on him ahead of the summer, following his excellent start to the season. He seems to be a different player to the one that was in Firenze or Bergamo
There is an idea for June. There was a formal and courteous meeting between Manna and Zaniolo’s agent, Claudio Vigorelli.
Andrea Locorotondo
Andrea Locorotondo is an Italian sports journalist. He has been living in the UK since 2015 and he is accredited by the SJA and AIPS. In addition to his role as contributor for FootItalia, he has demonstrated his ability to effectively cover a range of positions in sports journalism. Former Sportitalia TV journalist back in 2014, he is currently employed as a data journalist for Opta and Sportsdata. He is the team leader of Italian commentators at GBVision. He collaborates with EA Sports and frequently appears as a guest on Italian radio and television shows, including RDS Serie A TV and La Fiera del Calcio, where he shares his insights as a Premier League expert.
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