Atalanta, Gasperini: “Sorry for Touré, Zapata is playing, Scamacca is not at the top”

The enthusiasm remains, the potential too, but certainly starting the championship with the blow of a serious injury to the most important signing (31 million) of the Atalanta summer market is not the best even for someone who always knows how to look ahead, like Gian Piero Gasperini. During last Saturday’s friendly match against Juve, according to the club’s press release, Touré “suffered a rupture of the right rectus femoris tendon insertion. The clinical picture requires further and in-depth evaluations to define the suitable surgical strategy for the complete functional recovery”. Venturing an initial diagnosis, which needs to be checked again, one can speak of a stoppage of no less than three months, more likely four. Gasp doesn’t say too much about recovery time, but regret is strong: “I’m very sorry for a boy who had shown a desire to emerge and play for Atalanta. He was recovering from an injury (with Almeria, last winter), but no one imagined he could have a relapse of this kind”.

attack

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It is also not easy to imagine what repercussions it could have for the Atalanta market, with particular reference to the positions of Muriel and, above all, Zapata, for whom there is an open negotiation with Roma. At this point it will be necessary to make careful assessments of the appropriateness of this. Gasperini, for now, is not going too far. He reiterates that “Atalanta has made important investments thinking of rejuvenating the team by focusing on emerging young players and this injury may not change the prospects analyzed in recent times much”. But it is clear on Zapata: “Today he is a strong Atalanta player who has trained continuously since the beginning of the training camp and today he is in better shape than the others. market days is difficult to plan”. The indication of the very possible job as a starter tomorrow, against Sassuolo, is not accidental. The other center forward available, Scamacca, “arrived after being out for a long time, so he’s not yet at the top”. But qualities are not in question and the coach smiles at the phrase (“The coach said he sees my hidden qualities”) said by the newly arrived centre-forward: “Rather than hidden, those qualities are evident. He has an excellent right foot, he is physically strong and therefore has a good head, he has a good technical base. We will start from there, to model his best qualities in the best possible way”.

cdk

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It’s his bet, which also involves Charles De Ketelaere: “He’s a striker and he’s already shown his qualities in training. The right profile, like Scamacca. He too played little last year, but worked in a high environment like that of Milan, with a good coach like Pioli. He too comes from an unfortunate season, work will have to be done to enhance him and bring him to his level of potential, which he has shown little so far. And Atalanta can be the right place”. It could also be the case for the other newcomers, among whom Kolasinac is the quickest: “He’s arrived at the beginning of preparation, he’s the one who’s fitted in best. Bakker has a good left foot, but he’s still a bit in the running and will have to do it: according to our needs, taking advantage of its characteristics”. Then the team will have to be completed between now and the end of the transfer window: “Which is open until the end of the month, so there are open prospects. The club has worked hard, an extraordinary job has been done on the way out: up to now, some income has been matched by expenses and vice versa, now it will depend on what opportunities the last days of the transfer market offer.The willingness to intervene is there, for now I can say that the framework at full disposal, especially behind it, is that of last year”.

entries

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A “skeleton” that keeps the coach calm: “I’m looking at the work to be done to insert the new ones: we need to work harder, hoping that everyone is doing well, because especially those in front have to give us a good push. But we are very close also to the group we ended up with last season: he’s been solid for years, he knows how to stay on the pitch, just think of De Roon who will play his 300th match against Atalanta tomorrow, a great achievement”. What he will be able to achieve towards the end of this championship, with the primacy of appearances on the same bench, overtaking Ancelotti: “I read it, I hadn’t thought about it. It would be a huge goal, even if it shows that the years go by… It would be something even stronger to tie me to this club.” But there is time for these celebrations, first Atalanta is expected to live up to the great expectations of a square in love. “I hope they are not to win the Scudetto, as the curve sang on Thursday… But if they are these we will try to get there…”. Obviously Gasperini smiles, it’s too early to set goals, and let alone win the championship: “We’re waiting for the end of the transfer market to give us goals. But we already have one extraordinary one: to continue working on the players we have to give the club new resources.” Atalanta and helping them to always be competitive. This club’s real secret for always staying at a certain level.”

debut

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Meanwhile, below with Sassuolo: “Immediately a “real”, balanced match: excellent team, quality, with imported resources especially in attack”. There will be work for the defence, which Toloi recovers (“Maybe not from the start, but in case of need there will be”) and above all the goalkeeper: “Play Musso”, Gasperini announces curtly. The dualism with Carnesecchi, and the possible market prospects for one of the two, are still very open topics, but in the meantime there is already a certainty, at least for tomorrow.