Maurizio Sarri confirmed ahead of Atalanta's Conference League play-off second leg against Hapoel Tel Aviv that Charles De Ketelaere, the Belgian forward, had not trained sufficiently to be considered a dependable option — a disclosure that cast a shadow over the 25-year-old's start to the 2026-27 campaign before it had properly begun.
The timing matters. Atalanta have opened their Serie A season with a win, sitting ninth on three points, and the squad's depth is being tested across two competitions simultaneously. A forward unavailable through inadequate training is not merely an inconvenience; it narrows Sarri's attacking options at the precise moment the schedule demands breadth.
De Ketelaere has managed one Serie A appearance so far this season, contributing neither a goal nor an assist but earning an average rating of 7.20 — a number that suggests he performed adequately when called upon, even if the underlying fitness picture tells a more complicated story. His one Conference League appearance, made in a competition separate from the domestic campaign, also produced no goal or assist. The statistical slate is, for now, blank in the columns that define forwards.
An AI overall of 70 out of 100, with a potential of 76, positions De Ketelaere as a player whose ceiling remains meaningfully above his current output — a gap that can be closed only through sustained availability and match rhythm. Neither is guaranteed while fitness questions persist.
Sarri also referenced Gianluca Scamacca and Lazar Krstovic in the same pre-match context, signalling that the forward line as a whole was under scrutiny rather than De Ketelaere alone. That broader framing offers some perspective, but it does not dissolve the specific concern: a player of De Ketelaere's profile needs minutes, not margins.
With Atalanta now preparing to face Bologna in Serie A, the Belgian's ability to force his way into Sarri's plans — and stay there — will define whether his season becomes one of contribution or of catch-up.