Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere has picked up an injury in pre-season training, leaving Raffaele Palladino's side short of attacking options at the worst possible moment — with a Conference League play-off first leg against Hapoel Tel Aviv and the Serie A opener against Sassuolo arriving in quick succession.
The timing matters beyond fixture scheduling. De Ketelaere, 25, is not simply one name among several in la Dea's attacking rotation. Across 31 Serie A appearances last season he contributed three goals and five assists, carrying an average match rating of 7.20 — figures that reflect a player who influences games consistently rather than in flashes. Losing him to injury before a ball has been kicked competitively disrupts the continuity Palladino would have wanted to build from day one.
Atalanta's broader squad situation compounds the concern. Kamaldeen Sulemana is already sidelined for at least two months with a serious knee injury, and De Ketelaere's absence means Palladino must navigate two high-stakes fixtures without two of his forward options. The club has moved in the transfer window — Rasmus Kristensen has arrived on loan from Udinese, and Nuno Lang has been linked — but those are defensive and wide additions rather than direct cover for the positions De Ketelaere occupies.
The player's underlying profile adds context to why his absence registers. His AI Overall score of 70 out of a potential 76 suggests a player still moving toward his ceiling, one whose best football may not yet be behind him. At 25, with his creative numbers from last season as a baseline, De Ketelaere is precisely the kind of player a club in seventh place — 59 points from 38 matches, a record of 15 wins, 14 draws and nine defeats — needs fit and available if it wants to push into the European places rather than consolidate around them.
The nature and expected duration of the injury have not been confirmed. What is clear is that Atalanta begin their competitive season carrying a deficit they did not plan for, and De Ketelaere's return date will shape how much of August the club can treat as a genuine test of their ambitions rather than an exercise in damage limitation.