By Wale Mustapha
Atalanta will be without their star Nigerian forward, Ademola Lookman, as they prepare for their Champions League trip to Barcelona following a knee injury.
Lookman sustained a knee sprain during Atalanta’s Serie A match against Como last weekend.
The Super Eagles forward had a productive outing in the game, scoring a goal and providing an assist before being forced off the pitch due to the injury.
Further tests are expected to determine the extent of the injury, with Lookman now ruled out for several weeks, leaving a significant void in the Atalanta attack.
Lookman was in fine form in the Champions League, scoring in La Dea’s 5-0 demolition of Sturm Graz last week.
The forward has been a key contributor for Atalanta in Europe this season, with four goals and two assists in six UCL appearances.
With their next Champions League fixture set for Wednesday against Barcelona at the Nou Camp, Atalanta will have to find a way to cope without one of their most influential players.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
