Atalanta are facing a severe defensive crisis as they prepare for a crucial week of fixtures, starting with a high-stakes match against Juventus at the Gewiss Stadium tomorrow evening. Calciomercato report that the situation has worsened with another key defender sidelined, leaving manager Gian Piero Gasperini with limited options in the backline.
The team’s defensive woes began when Berat Djimsiti suffered a head injury during the match against Udinese, requiring 10 stitches for a laceration near his right eyebrow. Now, Odilon Kossounou, the summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen, has been ruled out due to a musculotendinous injury involving the proximal insertion of the adductor tendon on the right side.
Medical estimates suggest that injuries of this nature typically result in an absence of more than 14 days in 50% of cases, with an 18% risk of recurrence. This means Kossounou will miss the upcoming league matches against Juventus and Napoli, as well as potentially the Champions League fixture against Sturm Graz on January 21.
Despite these setbacks, Gasperini can take some comfort in the return of Giorgio Scalvini, who is expected to form the core of the defense alongside Isak Hien and Sead Kolasinac. Djimsiti trained separately yesterday and is likely to be unavailable for the Juventus clash.
Hien’s situation adds another layer of complexity, as he is one yellow card away from suspension. If cautioned against Juventus, he would be forced to sit out the Napoli game. In the worst-case scenario, where Kossounou, Djimsiti, and Hien are all unavailable for the Napoli match, Gasperini may need to deploy Marten de Roon in defense, reshuffling his midfield with Ederson and Mario Pasalic.
