Genoa head coach Daniele De Rossi feels Atalanta will miss Ademola Lookman when the teams meet in Serie A this weekend and during the AFCON, characterizing the Nigerian winger as a key player.
Genoa welcomes Atalanta on Sunday in a matchday 16 clash, with the visitors missing Lookman, who has left to represent Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.
De Rossi freely confessed that the Atalanta winger is the type of player that any coach wants available, regardless of form.
“I confess that if I were to coach Lookman, I’d always want him on the pitch because in Serie A he can make the difference and shift the balance,” De Rossi said, as per FCInter19008.
“We’ve also seen how dangerous the other players on the bench are, but having him or not certainly changes things.”
Atalanta is 12th with 19 points, significantly behind expectations, while Genoa is 16th with 14 points, uncomfortably close to the relegation zone.
Although Lookman has not been at his best this season, his threat from the left wing remains consistent. The 28-year-old has two goals in 11 Serie A games this season, but he has kept his spot in the starting lineup under head coach Raffaele Palladino.
Lookman has 55 goals and 26 assists in 134 outings since moving from RB Leipzig three years ago.
His focus has now shifted to international duty. The winger was slated to start against Tanzania in Nigeria’s first Group C match on Tuesday.
Lookman was an integral player of the Nigerian squad that advanced to the 2023 AFCON final in Ivory Coast.
