Genoa head coach, Daniele De Rossi, believes Atalanta will be weakened by the absence of Ademola Lookman when the two sides meet in Serie A this weekend, describing the Nigerian winger as a game-changer capable of tilting matches.
Genoa welcome Atalanta on Sunday for their Matchday 16 fixture, with the visitors travelling without Lookman following his departure for international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria (AFCON).
De Rossi admitted the 28-year-old is the sort of player every coach wants available, regardless of current 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 quoted by FCInter19008.
“We’ve also seen how dangerous the other players on the bench are, but having him or not certainly changes things.”
Atalanta head into the weekend sitting 12th on 19 points, a return that has fallen short of expectations, while Genoa are 16th with 14 points and hovering just above the relegation places.
Although Lookman has yet to reach top gear this season, his influence down the left flank remains clear. He has scored twice in 11 league appearances but continues to feature regularly under head coach Raffaele Palladino.
Since arriving from RB Leipzig three years ago, Lookman has posted 55 goals and 26 assists in 134 outings, underlining his long-term impact.
Attention now turns to the international stage, with Lookman expected to start when Nigeria face Tanzania in their Group C opener on Tuesday. He was a central figure in the Super Eagles side that reached the 2023 AFCON final in Ivory Coast.
