Lazio defender Danilho Doekhi underwent surgery and missed the home fixture against Milan, his club confirming the operation in an official communication ahead of a match that ended 2-2 — a result Ivan Gattuso's side could not convert into three points despite leading twice.
The timing of Doekhi's absence sharpens its significance. Lazio sit top of Serie A with ten points from four matches, a record of three wins and one draw, having conceded just three goals across that run. That defensive solidity is the foundation of everything Gattuso is building, and a centre-back going under the knife mid-September is precisely the kind of disruption that can quietly erode a title challenge before it has fully formed.
Doekhi, 28, has contributed directly to that structure when fit. Across three Serie A appearances this season he carries an average match rating of 7.05, a number that places him comfortably among the reliable performers in the squad rather than the peripheral ones. He has also registered one assist in the league, a detail that speaks to his involvement in build-up rather than mere defensive containment. His AI overall of 75 out of 100 reflects a player operating at a meaningful level — not a squad filler, not a marquee name, but the kind of dependable defensive presence that coaches rely on precisely because they rarely have to think about him.
The draw against Milan illustrated what Lazio lose without him. Gattuso himself described the atmosphere at the ground as reminiscent of the COVID period, with Milan supporters outnumbering the home faithful — an environment that places extra pressure on the defensive unit to hold shape without the crowd as a structural ally. Doekhi's replacement in the lineup was not named in the available information, but the scoreline tells its own story: Lazio conceded twice in a single evening.
Doekhi also appeared once in the Coppa Italia this season, though Lazio lost that match 0-2, with no goals or assists from Doekhi himself. His Serie A minutes remain the more telling measure of his contribution, and the question now is how quickly he returns to full fitness and whether Gattuso can maintain Lazio's defensive discipline in the interim.
Three wins, one draw, and top of the table after four matches is a position most clubs would accept without negotiation. Keeping it requires the players who built it.