Juric hints at starting spot for Lookman as Atalanta reintegrate wantaway forward
Ademola Lookman has played just four competitive minutes for Atalanta this season, though Ivan Juric may soon welcome him back.
Ivan Juric has started to think about reintegrating Ademola Lookman, who will hope for another chance when Atalanta host Club Brugge in the Champions League.
Lookman was left out of Atalanta's squad for their first three Serie A games, having fallen out of favour after attempting to force a transfer move to rivals Inter.
The 27-year-old made his first appearance in their fourth league game, playing just four minutes as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Torino, before being left on the bench for a 1-1 draw with Juventus on Saturday.
Atalanta boss Juric hinted that Lookman could return on Tuesday at the New Balance Arena, where the Italian side will hope to bounce back from their opening 4-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in Europe.
"Ademola has been training with us for a while now, and I'm starting to think about it," Juric said at Monday's pre-match press conference.
"The same goes for Ederson: they're two important players we need to reintroduce into the rotation."
Lookman's reintroduction could be crucial, given that Atalanta have lost each of their last three games in the Champions League, which is their joint-longest losing streak in the competition.
Tuesday's fixture would also have served as a memorable occasion for Charles De Ketelaere, who joined Brugge at the age of seven before leaving for AC Milan in 2022, if not for injury.
He will not have the chance to become the first player to both score for and against Brugge in the European Cup/Champions League, due to an ongoing muscular issue.
That comes as another blow for Juric, who is already without Giorgio Scalvini, Isak Hien, Nicola Zalewski, Gianluca Scamacca, Sead Kolasinac and Mitchel Bakker.
"We'd like to have everyone available," the former Southampton boss added. "We want to win the match, but without over-exerting the players. They're doing well, and I'm confident."
The loss of Kolasinac and Bakker could prove costly in defence, considering Atalanta have only kept one clean sheet in their last seven Champions League matches and conceded 15 goals.
Pressed further on injury issues, Juric continued: "They undoubtedly weigh heavily, but even those who were called upon have performed excellently.
"For a coach, it's an important sign: it means that, despite not playing, they trained with great dedication. I can't wait to have the full squad back.
"I hope to get some players back after the break and improve our situation."
