Luis Muriel missed international duties due to a thigh injury. It was initially believed to be a minor ailment, but the striker has not improved over the last ten days. He took further tests, which revealed a substantial strain, Atalanta informed.
The Colombian forward will rest and rehab for a week before taking more exams. Therefore, he will certainly skip the upcoming matches against Fiorentina, Villarreal, and Salernitana. However, his absence risks being much longer.
According to Corriere della Sera, the hope is to see him back on the pitch versus Inter on September 25th or against Milan a week later. However, it is a realistic possibility that Muriel could be out until the second international break, returning only in mid-October.
Atalanta are dealing with other issues in the position. Duvan Zapata sat out the first two fixtures of the season due to a knee sprain. The powerhouse made progress in his rehab and resumed practicing fully yesterday. However, he remains in doubt for the upcoming game against the Viola. Roberto Piccoli turned his ankle while playing with Italy U-21, but the problem is not severe.
Even if available, Zapata might not be ready to start Saturday. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini is pondering whether to use Josip Ilicic as a false-nine or insert Piccoli in the XI. Atalanta got good news from Robin Gosens. The fullback sprained his foot in the first World Cup qualifier on the schedule and skipped a match. However, he was able to log a few minutes against Iceland yesterday.