Problems are piling up for Atalanta and their manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, ahead of the festive period. According to Sky Sport Italia, Gianluca Scamacca has picked up an injury that will keep him on the sidelines until the start of 2024.
Just as he seemed to be hitting his stride at the Gewiss Stadium, the highly-rated striker succumbed to a lesion to the tendon of the adductor in his left thigh. Scamacca scored a long-range thunderbolt in midweek Europa League action as Atalanta shared the spoils with Sporting Lisbon in a 1-1 home draw.
However, the former West Ham flop suffered an injury in the second half. It’s a shame he failed to stay fit amid this critical juncture, with Atalanta bidding to fashion a top-four push following a topsy-turvy start to the new Serie A campaign.
Gasperini’s men head to Turin to encounter Torino on Monday, seeking three points that would keep them within striking distance of fourth-placed Napoli. Ominously, Atalanta will have to make it without Scamacca and long-term absentee El Bilal Toure.
With both summer acquisitions ruled out with injuries, Gasperini will likely turn to long-serving stalwart Luis Muriel to lead the line against Ivan Juric’s side. It’s still uncertain whether the Atalanta coach will have Milan loanee Charles De Ketelaere at his disposal for that trip.
The Belgian forward has been struggling with recurring fitness problems following a decent start to life at Atalanta. Plagued by injuries, La Dea fell to a 2-1 home defeat to Napoli last weekend. They can’t afford another slip-up if they’re to cover ground on the Champions League spots.
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