Bologna return from the international break with a familiar figure carrying an unusually large share of the club’s hopes. Riccardo Orsolini is expected to be ready for the October 11 trip to Lecce, a fixture that arrives with the Rossoblù third from bottom and level with Genoa as Serie A’s lowest-scoring side on three goals.
The captain’s recovery is timely for Raffaele Palladino, who has begun reshaping the group after taking over from Domenico Tedesco. Bologna need more than a change of coach to alter the direction of their season, but Orsolini’s return offers leadership, goals and a player with a particularly persuasive record against the next opponent.
Orsolini and Lecce, a productive history
Lecce have been Orsolini’s most frequent victims. He has scored seven times against them, beginning with a brace at the Via del Mare in 2019 during Sinisa Mihajlovic’s spell in charge. He then struck twice in the home meeting in 2024, before adding three further goals between 2025 and April 2026.
His place within Bologna has also changed over time. The club wanted him to become a standard-bearer, and the contract extension running until 2031 confirmed that status. Palladino is looking for conviction, personality, courage and enjoyment from his players; those are qualities Bologna expect their captain to bring into a difficult moment.
Orsolini featured in the opening match against Lazio but was injured in Bergamo in the second round. He made only a partial return against Torino in the fifth game and is now working towards full involvement again. Having reached double figures for goals in each of the past four seasons, he remains central to Bologna’s search for a reliable attacking outlet.
Palladino’s early changes at Bologna
The new coach has used his first days to alter more than the defensive structure. A back three has been introduced, while the physical work has been revised from the rhythms used under Tedesco. Palladino wants more individual duels, quicker forward routes to goal and a higher, more regular press.
He has also changed nutritional routines, introduced drone footage for overhead analysis and placed considerable emphasis on direct communication with the squad. His approach is demanding, but it is rooted in the belief that the players themselves must produce the decisive response.
Technical director Giovanni Sartori has urged the club to move beyond pessimism. The task now is to turn that message into results, beginning with a side that has struggled severely in front of goal.
Palladino has had five training sessions since his appointment. The international break has limited the number of players available, although only Nicolò Cambiaghi was called up among Bologna’s attacking options. Orsolini and the other forwards have therefore remained in Bologna, working on the issue that could define the coming weeks: finding the net often enough to move clear of danger.
Quality and formation choices
Orsolini is also one of the leading figures in Bologna’s Progetto Qualità alongside Federico Bernardeschi. The initiative is regarded as an important element of Palladino’s work, with the coach seeking to restore technical quality to a team in need of confidence as well as points.
Bologna could develop within either a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-2-1, but the immediate requirement is less about the final diagram than the identity Palladino wants to establish. His previous sides have carried a clear character, and Bologna are trying to build one quickly while their league position remains fragile.
Holm surgery creates another problem
Emil Holm will not be part of that immediate rebuilding process. The Swedish wide player is set to undergo surgery in Turku, Finland, under Professor Lempainen, who has previously operated on Artem Dovbyk.
The injury is more serious than an isolated muscle-fibre problem: it affects both muscle and tendon in the biceps femoris. His absence is expected to last around three to four months, a lengthy setback for a side already trying to settle under a new coach.
Bologna have begun to receive possible options from the free-agent market as they consider whether to act. Matteo Darmian has been put forward, while Pol Lirola, Elseid Hysaj, Mattia De Sciglio, Mitchel Bakker, Emil Krafth and Dani Carvajal have also been discussed. Carvajal’s previous salary, close to €4.5 million, is a significant consideration. No decision has yet been made.
For now, the clearest prospect is Orsolini’s return at Lecce. Bologna require a turning point rather than a gesture, but their captain has made a habit of leaving his mark on this particular fixture.
