Atalanta defender Raoul Bellanova was forced off during his side's 3-1 home victory against Venezia on October 12, leaving Maurizio Sarri's squad with a fitness concern ahead of their next fixture against Milan.
The timing is significant. Atalanta are already without Elmas, who received a red card during the match and will miss the Milan clash through suspension. Sarri addressed the situation after the final whistle, indicating that Scalvini's condition worried him more than Bellanova's — a remark that offers some reassurance, but stops well short of a clean bill of health for the right flank.
Bellanova, 26, has been a regular presence in la Dea's early-season campaign, appearing in five of their six Serie A matches in 2026-27. His numbers have been modest — no goals, no assists, and an average rating of 6.56 — but his role in Sarri's system is structural rather than statistical. A wide defender who functions as an attacking outlet, Bellanova's availability directly shapes how Atalanta can press and transition. Losing him, even briefly, narrows Sarri's tactical options on that side of the pitch.
The broader context adds pressure. Atalanta sit tenth in Serie A with nine points from six matches, a record of three wins and three defeats that reflects a squad still finding its rhythm under Sarri. The win against Venezia was necessary; the injuries that came with it complicate the week ahead.
Bellanova carries an AI overall of 73 out of 100, with a potential of 78 — numbers that suggest a player still ascending. Whether he is available for the Milan fixture will be the first test of how much that trajectory is disrupted.