Bologna’s next selection at centre-forward has become a small but revealing thread in their season. Artem Dovbyk has returned to work after another physical setback, yet Raffaele Palladino must now decide whether the Ukrainian is ready to begin a match rather than merely take part in its closing stages.
The issue has gained urgency because Roberto Piccoli is unavailable after suffering a muscular problem against Inter. When Piccoli had to leave the pitch around the half-hour mark last Saturday, Palladino turned to Enem. He had made the same choice in the late stages at Lecce, before later introducing Dovbyk for the final part of the game.
Dovbyk’s substitute appearances at least confirm that he is considered capable of contributing. The question is whether his condition is sufficient for a starting role. Palladino has made clear that he rates the forward and sees him as an added resource once he is fully fit, but has urged patience after a week in which the player trained well.
“He has minutes in his legs, but he must wait calmly for his opportunity,” Palladino said before Bologna’s meeting with Inter. “His moment will come.”
That moment could arrive in Saturday’s trip to Cagliari, although Bologna also face Milan at San Siro on Wednesday before returning to the Dall’Ara to meet Monza the following Saturday. With Piccoli sidelined, Dovbyk may be handed a start in one of those fixtures, but the coach has alternatives.
Enem remains in contention after being preferred on the two recent occasions when Bologna needed a replacement striker. Jens Odgaard is another possible solution through the middle; Bologna had signed the Dutchman from AZ Alkmaar in part because he could provide cover for Joshua Zirkzee in that position.
Palladino will assess both forwards through Friday’s session and select the player who offers the clearest guarantees. Dovbyk understood the recent decisions, even if being passed over for Enem at Lecce and against Inter cannot have been easy. A further sign of progress in training could still move him ahead of the Dutchman.
The longer story is one of fitness rather than form alone. Dovbyk has been affected by the physical problems and repeated layoffs that marked the previous year, arriving at Casteldebole in a condition that left him short of readiness. Bologna chose to sign him despite that situation, while recognising that his recovery would require time.
There were also differing views between Tedesco’s fitness coach and the medical staff over the methods to be used in his programme, a lack of alignment that contributed to further delays. By remaining at Casteldebole during the international break, Dovbyk has made important physical gains. His final objective is straightforward: to put recurring muscular discomfort behind him and finally build the continuity Bologna expected when they brought him in.
