ATALANTA NEWS

Juan Musso - Allows one goal in Empoli match Musso had three saves and one clearance and gave up one goal in Sunday's 4-1 win over Empoli.

Impact Musso could not catch a cross-shot from distance by Federico Di Francesco, but he had a few saves in the second half to keep the opponents at bay. He has conceded ten goals in nine matches, making 25 saves and keeping three clean sheets. Atalanta will face Manchester United away Wednesday and host Udinese next Sunday.

OCTOBER 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Merih Demiral - Solid against Empoli Demiral had three interceptions and three clearances, won six duels and drew one foul in Sunday's 4-1 win over Empoli.

Impact Demiral had a tidy performance in the back and is set to take on more responsibilities with Berat Djimsiti out for a month and Rafael Toloi picking up another injury in this one. He has recorded ten tackles, 15 interceptions and 26 clearances in eight games. Atalanta will face Manchester United away Wednesday and host Udinese next Sunday.

OCTOBER 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Teun Koopmeiners - Creates three chances against Empoli Koopmeiners took two off-target shots, created three scoring chances, won one of two tackles and had two successful take-ons in Saturday's 4-1 win over Empoli.

Impact Koopmeiners saw a rare start in this one and co-led his team in chances alongside Josip Ilicic. He will be in the mix, but it will be tough to unseat Remo Freuler and Marten De Roon. He has posted four shots, seven chances created and eight crosses in seven matches. Atalanta will face Manchester United away Wednesday and host Udinese next Sunday.

OCTOBER 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Davide Zappacosta - Lively versus Empoli Zappacosta took two off-target shots, sent in three crosses (one accurate), created two scoring chances and drew one foul in Sunday's 4-1 win over Empoli.

Impact Zappacosta had a serviceable performance and picked up stats on both ends. He is set to see regular minutes with Robin Gosens and Hans Hateboer both on the mend, although he does not offer the same upside of the former. He has scored once and tallied 16 shots, 13 chances created, 32 crosses and nine tackles in nine matches. Atalanta will face Manchester United away Wednesday and host Udinese next Sunday.

OCTOBER 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Mario Pasalic - Dishes two assists against Empoli Pasalic took three off-target shots, created two scoring chances, won one of two tackles and provided two assists in Sunday's 4-1 win over Empoli.

Impact Pasalic had a very unselfish performance, serving a teammate in two occasions where he could have finished on his own. He is set for an extended run with Pessina suffering a serious injury., although the coach will occasionally opt for more aggressive options. He has tallied one goal, three assists, six chances and nine tackles in ten matches so far. Atalanta will face Manchester United away Wednesday and host Udinese next Sunday.

OCTOBER 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Luis Muriel - Provides assist against Empoli Muriel took five shots (two on target), created two scoring chances, drew one foul and picked up an assist in Sunday's 4-1 win over Empoli.

Impact Muriel returned the XI for the first time since a thigh injury and collected a point by setting up Josip Ilicic's second goal. His minutes still appear to be capped and the coach has refrained from using him and Duvan Zapata together so far. He has logged one goal, 14 shots and seven chances created in five matches. Atalanta will face Manchester United away Wednesday and host Udinese next Sunday.

OCTOBER 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Duvan Zapata - Finds target versus Empoli Zapata took four shots (one on target), created one chance, won three duels and scored a goal in 45 minutes in Sunday's 4-1 win over Empoli.

Impact Zapata was partially rested after international duties, but he still found the target with an easy goal on a square ball by Mario Pasalic in the stoppage time. He is up to four goals, four assists, 23 shots and then chances created in eight matches. Atalanta will face Manchester United away Wednesday and host Udinese next Sunday.

OCTOBER 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Josip Ilicic - Scores brace and misses PK against Empoli Ilicic took three shots (two on target), created three chances, drew three fouls and scored twice in Sunday's 4-1 win over Empoli.

Impact Ilicic delivered on a rare start, hitting the net on a tap-in and on a gorgeous curled shot. However, he could not complete the hat-trick as he skied a penalty kick in the second half. He had yet to score in the season, while he had provided two assists. He has notched 13 shots, 12 chances created and 13 crosses in nine games. Atalanta will face Manchester United away Wednesday and host Udinese next Sunday.

OCTOBER 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Rafael Toloi - Comes off injured against Empoli Toloi was subbed out of Sunday's victory against Empoli in the 42nd minute after suffering an apparent injury. He created a chance and made two interceptions in the match before be...

Impact It is unclear whether Toloi will be forced to miss additional game time due to his injury, which could be a re-aggravation of the thigh injury that kept him out of the international window earlier this month.

OCTOBER 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Rafael Toloi - Called up for Empoli match Toloi (thigh) has shaken off his injury, coach Gian Piero Gasperini announced.

Impact Toloi has recovered from a thigh strain that cost him one game and should reprise his starting role in the back. He has posted ten tackles, four interceptions, 15 clearances and three blocks in five matches, with two clean sheets.

OCTOBER 16, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Rafael Toloi - Progressing after injury Toloi practiced with the rest of his teammates Tuesday, Tuttomercatoweb reports.

Impact Toloi missed the previous game due to a slight thigh strain, but he appears on track to be available for Sunday's match versus Empoli. It will be up to the coach to decide whether to field him right away or spare him for the Manchester United clash.

OCTOBER 14, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Varane out for 'a few weeks,' to miss key games for United

Raphael Varane will miss the start of a difficult run of games for Manchester United after being ruled out for “a few weeks” Tuesday because of a groin injury

OCTOBER 12, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Berat Djimsiti - Undergoes surgery Djmsiti will go under the knife to reduce a compound fracture of the left forearm and is expected to miss a month, Atalanta announced.

Impact Djimsiti got hurt with Albania and the tests confirmed the early diagnosis. He is poised to sit out the next five Serie A matches and return in mid-November after the next international break. Matteo Lovato figures to see an uptick of minutes, at least until Rafael Toloi comes back from his thigh problem.

OCTOBER 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Berat Djimsiti - Injures arm with Albania Djimsiti suffered a forearm fracture in the World Cup qualifier against Hungary, Sky Sport reports.

Impact Djimsiti will undergo further testing to determine the type of fracture, which could prolong the recovery time. He is tentatively expected to miss a month. With Rafael Toloi (thigh) also on the shelf, backups Matteo Lovato and Giorgio Scalvini should get a shot in the upcoming games.

OCTOBER 9, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Rafael Toloi - Nursing strain Toloi is recovering from a small strain in the biceps femoris muscle of the right thigh, L'Eco di Bergamo reports.

Impact Toloi took some tests after being a late scratch for the Milan clash. He might be forced to miss further matches as the standard timetable for this kind of injury is three-to-four weeks.

OCTOBER 9, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Matteo Pessina - Diagnosed with severe injury Pessina has suffered a grade two strain of the flexor muscle in the right thigh, Gianluca Di Marzio reports.

Impact Pessina is poised to miss six-to-eight weeks considering the severity of the problem. Mario Pasalic, Josip Ilicic and Luis Muriel are set to see an uptick of playing time depending on what tactical posture the coach decides to have. Pessina could be back in late November.

OCTOBER 5, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

'Emptying the midfield' and winning without Zlatan, Pioli's Milan have their eyes on the prize Milan beat Atalanta in Bergamo to go second in the table and continue their unbeaten start, much of it without their talisman striker

OCTOBER 5, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Berat Djimsiti - Wins four tackles against Milan Djimisit won eight duels and four of six tackles, drew one foul and had one block in Sunday's 2-3 loss to Atalanata.

Impact Djimsiti often emerged victorious from the physical duels with the opponents, but Atalanta gave up three goals in this one and looked rather shoddy in the back as a whole. He has tallied 19 tackles, 17 clearances and ten interceptions in nine appearances, contributing to two clean sheets. Atalanta will face Empoli away after the break.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Davide Zappacosta - Decent versus Milan Zappacosta took three shots (one on target), created two scoring chances, won two of three tackles and drew two fouls in Sunday's 2-3 loss to Milan.

Impact Zappacosta did not have a particularly impressive performance, but he managed to notch small numbers in almost every category. He will try to pick up the slack scoring-wise after the major injury to Robin Gosens. He has hit the net once thus far, adding 14 shots, 11 chances created and 25 crosses in eight games. Atalanta will face Empoli away after the break.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Mario Pasalic - Scores versus Milan Pasalic took one shot on target and scored while playing a handful of minutes in Sunday's 2-3 loss to Milan.

Impact Pasalic made the most of his minutes by hitting the net with an easy finish from inside the box, but it was too late to really reopen the game. He will likely be the main beneficiary if Matteo Pessina is forced to miss time. He has notched one goal, one assist, four chances created and seven tackles in seven matches (four starts). Atalanta will face Empoli away after the break.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Luis Muriel - Quiet off bench versus Milan Muriel took one off-target shot, sent in one inaccurate cross, created one scoring chance and won one duel in 34 minutes in Sunday's 2-3 loss to Milan.

Impact Muriel saw limited minutes for the second game in a row as he is being eased into action after a thigh injury. An eventual absence of Matteo Pessina would open up some room for all the other Atalanta attackers. He has scored once and recorded nine shots, five chances created and five crosses in four games. Atalanta will face Empoli away after the break.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Ruslan Malinovskyi - Productive versus Milan Malinovskyi took three shots (one on target), sent in eight crosses (three accurate), created two scoring chances and had four successful take-ons in Sunday's 2-3 loss to Milan.

Impact Malinovskyi put together a solid stat-line, mostly thanks to a high number of corner kicks, even though he played only 56 minutes and was not on the pitch when his team scored. He has recorded one goal, one assist, 21 chances and 53 crosses in eight matches. Atalanta will face Empoli away after the break.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Duvan Zapata - Scores and assists versus Milan Zapata took three shots (all on target), sent in three crosses (one accurate), created three chances, buried a PK and picked up an assist in Sunday's 2-3 loss to Milan.

Impact Zapata had a strong outing despite the loss, as he kept his aplomb from the penalty spot and found Mario Pasalic in the box for the late 2-3 goal. He paced his team in shots and chances. He is up to three goals and two assists in the season, and he has added 19 shots and ten crosses. Atalanta will face Empoli away after the break.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Josip Ilicic - Wins three duels against Milan Ilicic took one off-target shot, had one interception and two successful take-on and won three duels in 34 minutes in Sunday's 2-3 loss to Milan.

Impact Ilicic was not particularly impactful even though his side scored twice after he subbed in. He is unlikely to be elevated from a backup role. He has tallied two goals, nine shots, nine chances crated and 11 crosses in eight appearances. Atalanta will face Empoli away after the break.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Jose Luis Palomino - Wins ten duels versus Milan Palomino (thigh) had two clearances, one block and one interception and won ten duels in Sunday's 2-3 loss to Milan.

Impact Palomino had a physical performance in his return from injury, but he was often put on skates by Milan attackers like the rest of the Atalanta backline. He has notched 18 tackles, 23 interceptions and 26 clearances in seven appearances, contributing to two clean sheets. Atalanta will face Empoli away after the break.

OCTOBER 4, 2021 • ROTOWIRE