Atalanta injury crisis leaves Sarri waiting for answers

"If you have 14 players out at the same time, and you consider this a week to relaunch the season, that seems tough." That was Maurizio Sarri's read after Atalanta's 1-1 draw with Kairat Almaty in the Conference League. The point kept the night alive, but it also left the manager leaning hard on the absences.

The selection problem

Sarri said Atalanta had 10 players injured and four others who the medical staff said should not be used for more than 30 minutes. He also said the squad was being asked to play eight matches in 23 days. Those are the numbers behind a night that felt like damage control rather than a clean test of the team.

He was also clear about the goal that changed the match. Sarri said they could have won if they had not conceded a stupid goal, then the game became an uphill struggle. He added that the side moved the ball too slowly and struggled to find spaces against a very defensive Kairat Almaty.

Why Sarri says it is too early to judge

The bigger point from Sarri was not about one draw. He said the transition from one style of play to another has become very, very much more complicated because of the overlapping problems, and that understanding which players suit the new approach will only be possible at the end of the season.

That view fits the run around the draw. Atalanta have won only two matches in the last two months, are on six consecutive matches without a win, and have conceded 15 goals in their last six matches. They have also scored 11 in that same spell, so the issue is not just one side of the pitch.

Sarri's case is straightforward enough. With 14 players out, the draw is hard to use as a clean verdict on the project, and the Conference League table pressure will keep building while the squad stays stretched. The next chance to change that comes when Atalanta return to the competition with more of the group available.