Genoa forward Lorenzo Colombo sustained an ankle sprain in a friendly, casting doubt over his availability for the Grifone's home fixture against Fiorentina — a match Daniele De Rossi's side cannot afford to approach at anything less than full strength.
The timing is punishing. Genoa sit 19th in Serie A with a single point from five matches, having won none, drawn one, and lost four. They have scored three times and conceded ten. Colombo is the one attacking player who has shown consistent involvement in the little that has gone right: two assists in five league appearances this season, with an average rating of 6.31. Those numbers are modest in isolation, but in a side this starved of creative output, his absence creates a gap that is not straightforwardly filled.
The 24-year-old has been carrying a disproportionate share of Genoa's attacking responsibility. His two league assists represent a meaningful portion of the club's three goals scored, and his Coppa Italia goal — registered in a separate competition and not for the current club — suggests the finishing instinct is present even if Serie A has not yet rewarded it. An AI overall of 73 out of 100, with a potential of 78, reflects a player whose ceiling remains reachable, but only if the ankle heals cleanly and the matches keep coming.
Off the pitch, Genoa's institutional uncertainty compounds the sporting picture. Sporting director Diego Lopez has been linked with a move to Burnley, and the club appears to be weighing a restructured front-office arrangement to replace him. Administrative turbulence rarely helps a squad already searching for its first league win.
Fiorentina arrive in Liguria in better form, making this fixture a steep ask even at full strength. Without Colombo, De Rossi's options narrow further. The Grifone need points urgently; they need their most productive forward fit just as urgently.