Gian Piero Gasperini Acknowledges Injury Woes Following Atalanta’s Draw with Cagliari

Atalanta’s head coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, has attributed their struggles to a shortage of fit strikers, attributing this lack of personnel to their goalless draw against mid-table Cagliari on Saturday.

With Cagliari positioned 13th in the standings, Atalanta were keen to collect all three points on home soil to narrow the gap on Serie A leaders Napoli.

However, Gasperini’s team found it challenging to carve out significant opportunities, leaving them third in the table with 51 points, trailing Napoli by five points and sitting three behind Inter Milan in second place.

Injuries have plagued Atalanta, with forwards Ademola Lookman and Gianluca Scamacca, along with midfielder Daniel Maldini, all recently ruled out.

“We could have claimed all three points today, but we’re currently facing a shortage in numbers,” Gasperini said in an interview with DAZN.

“We’re really feeling the absence of our strikers; however, those who step in under these circumstances are doing an exceptional job, and everyone is adapting.

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult for us to secure victories, particularly at home, even though we have dominated large stretches of the match, which ultimately led us to this result.“

Looking ahead, Gasperini shifted his focus to Tuesday’s Champions League encounter against Club Brugge, following a late penalty that saw them lose 2-1 in the first leg.

“This upcoming match is very important to us, especially in light of how the first leg concluded. Brugge possesses both technical skill and physical prowess, so we need to find the back of the net,” he remarked.

“Just winning isn’t enough anymore; the outcome of that first leg has complicated our situation.

“We must put forth our utmost effort to progress to the next round—a round that, prior to the first leg, seemed well within our grasp.”