Atalanta’s next league assignment arrives with selection decisions shaped by a crowded calendar, while Venezia approach the meeting still without a point but convinced their performances have deserved more.
Giacomo Raspadori has returned to the Atalanta squad after completing the full training session with his team-mates. The forward is expected to begin on the bench as the staff manage his recovery carefully amid successive fixtures.
Quick facts
- Raspadori is back among Atalanta’s available players after training fully with the group.
- Isak Hien is receiving treatment and working in the gym.
- Kamaldeen Sulemana has followed an individual programme on the pitch and in the gym, with Thursday’s Conference League match against Pafos in view.
- Odilon Kossounou and Thomas Pompei are undergoing treatment.
- Atalanta will be backed by 2,229 supporters for the Thursday 22 away trip to Ajax in Amsterdam.
- Venezia remain on zero points, although the club believes the table does not reflect the level shown by Giovanni Stroppa’s side.
Hien remains unavailable for full team work, while Sulemana is being prepared separately for a possible return in Europe against Pafos. Kossounou and Pompei are also continuing their rehabilitation programmes.
The European itinerary will not be without support from Bergamo. The final allocation for the Amsterdam trip has been confirmed at 2,229 Atalanta fans for the Ajax match on Thursday 22.
For Venezia, the contest carries the weight of an early-season correction. Stroppa’s team are bottom on no points, but their recent displays have offered more encouragement than the standings suggest.
The extended break has helped Venezia recover several players. Schingtienne, Haps, Basic and Dagasso have returned to the coach’s options, increasing the depth available for a difficult afternoon against Atalanta.
There are still absences to manage. Bella-Kotchap, Mazzocchi and captain Busio are progressing towards fitness, while Franjic, Sverko and Adorante remain longer-term cases. Adorante, the centre-forward, is nevertheless close to coming back.
Juan Jesus is set to organise Venezia’s back line, with Schingtienne and Moreno alongside him. For a side seeking its first points, defensive order will be the first requirement before the championship can begin to turn in a different direction.
