Atalanta faces an escalating injury crisis with ten players sidelined ahead of their Serie A fixture against Parma, leaving manager Maurizio Sarri to manage a severely depleted squad as they seek to break a four-match winless run in domestic and European competition.
Ten Players Sidelined as Atalanta Prepares for Parma
The latest medical updates released by the club confirm that Atalanta’s treatment room has returned to double figures following Thursday’s 2-2 draw against Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. While defenders Giorgio Scalvini and Ibrahim Sulemana returned to availability in Florence, the club immediately lost Thomas Kristensen and Gianluca Gaetano to fresh muscular injuries. According to Corriere Bergamo, the club’s injury total stands firmly at ten players, forcing manager Maurizio Sarri to navigate a demanding stretch of fixtures with limited rotation options.
The squad returned to the Centro Bortolotti in Zingonia for recovery sessions and individual workouts, preparing behind closed doors for Monday night’s encounter. Atalanta currently sits eleventh in the Serie A standings with 11 points from their opening matches, while Parma occupies the relegation zone with five points. Sarri will address the media in a pre-match press conference ahead of the 20:45 CET (19:45 UTC) kickoff at the New Balance Arena on November 2, 2026.
Medical Diagnostics Confirm Muscle Strains for Kristensen and Gaetano
Further instrumental tests conducted on the newly injured duo revealed the severity of their physical setbacks. La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that medical examinations confirmed a medium-grade strain in the right thigh adductor muscles for Gianluca Gaetano and a low-grade strain in the left thigh flexors for Thomas Kristensen. Both players are undergoing rehabilitation paths that rule them out for upcoming fixtures against Parma, Kairat Almaty, and Monza.
The timing of the injuries compounds an already difficult period for the Bergamo club. Diretta noted that Kristensen is targeting a return for the high-profile fixture against Inter Milan on November 22, 2026, while Gaetano aims to rejoin the active roster following the upcoming international break in mid-November.
Thirty Missed Matches and Rising Physical Toll Across the Squad
The heavy reliance on a core group of players has taken a toll on the squad’s physical resilience. BergamoNews highlighted that non-traumatic muscular issues have already accounted for 30 missed appearances across the season, excluding long-term absentees such as Isak Hien and Kamaldeen Sulemana. With multiple starters unavailable, the total number of missed matches across all player absences is projected to surpass 40 before domestic play pauses in November.
Manager Maurizio Sarri addressed the physical strain during his post-match remarks in Florence, expressing skepticism toward external assessments of athletic preparation. As quoted by Corriere Bergamo, Sarri remarked that “it makes me laugh to think about preparation problems,” adding that “perhaps we paid for the absence of preparation, always playing the usual few and getting hurt.”
Sidelined Squad Members and Recovery Timelines
- Sead Kolašinac: Managing a low-grade rectus femoris strain of the left thigh.
- Franck Kessié: Dealing with a low-grade right calf strain, with an estimated recovery likelihood of 40 percent ahead of the match against Monza.
Match Schedule and Upcoming Checkpoints
Atalanta hosts Parma on November 2, 2026, at 20:45 CET (19:45 UTC) at the New Balance Arena in Serie A play. The team will subsequently face Kairat Almaty on November 5, 2026, in European competition before traveling to face Monza on November 8, 2026, concluding the pre-break fixture block prior to the Serie A meeting with Inter Milan on November 22, 2026.
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