Atalanta head coach Raffaele Palladino has revealed the fitness status of Super Eagles attacker Ademola Lookman ahead of his side's UCL group game against Union Saint-Gilloise, Soccernet.ng reports.
Lookman played six games for Nigeria at the AFCON 2025 tournament, helping Eric Chelle's men to a bronze medal.
However, he's been limited to just minutes off the bench since he returned to Bergamo. He grabbed an assist in 25 minutes against Athletic Club last week.
Over the weekend, he came off the bench to play 11 minutes in Atalanta's 4-0 win over Parma in the Serie A.
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Lookman's start against USG unsure – Palladino
The workload from the AFCON has forced Palladino to manage Lookman's minutes so the Nigerian will avoid injuries in a crucial part of the season.
As such, the 41-year-old clarified his reasons for limiting the playing time of the ex-RB Leipzig man.
“Lookman has returned well, with the right spirit,” the Italian manager said in quotes revealed by Tutto Atalanta.
“Obviously, when you return after 40 days in a different context and another competition, you need a moment to get back into the rhythms and patterns you left behind weeks earlier.
“But the boy has the right mentality to make himself available immediately. Starter? We'll see. Maybe, maybe not. Like him, everyone is available,” Palladino said about Lookman.
Given that Union Saint-Gilloise are a Belgian club, Palladino is hoping the game at the Lotto Park will be of extra motivation to Belgium-born Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere.
“Charles is a very important footballer for us; he is expressing himself at incredible levels.
“He is a complete player: he does a phase of possession and not fantastic possession, he has talent, technique and physique.
“What's missing in his game? The goals. He can and must give more from a realistic point of view, filling the area better and reasoning even more as a pure striker.
“But beyond that, he's a fantastic player,” the Atalanta coach concluded.
The 2024 UEFA Europa League winners could directly qualify for the next round tonight. They're currently 13th on the UCL Group phase table, level on points with PSG, who are 6th.
