ROME, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Juventus club announced on Friday that their utility player Simone Pepe will be "out of action for a long time" after suffering a second tear to his left thigh muscle.

Juve said in a statement, that Pepe, 29, who had returned to make a 20-minute against Lazio last month following months on the sideline with the first injury, had suffered a setback.

"Pepe will have to be out of action for a long time yet. Over the last few days, the player suffered a new muscular problem at the semi-membrane level of the left thigh," the statement read.

"It is a I-II degree lesion in the area of the previous lesion, which had healed. To avoid further setbacks, he will have a period of complete rest and treatment, so will only return when his condition is completely healed," said the statement.

The injury will be a blow to Juve coach Antonio Conte, because Pepe had been set to deputise for Kwadwo Asamoah when the Ghanaian heads to the African Nations Cup next month.