Atalanta coach reveals how Super Eagles duty affected Lookman's recent training sessions

Atalanta manager Ivan Juric has disclosed that Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman has not been able to train fully in recent weeks due to his national team commitments with the Super Eagles.

Lookman, who had endured a slow start to the season without a goal or assist in his first six matches across all competitions, finally opened his account in Atalanta's 1-1 draw against AC Milan at the Gewiss Stadium on Tuesday night.

Speaking ahead of Atalanta's Serie A clash with Udinese, Juric acknowledged the 28-year-old's quality but noted that his involvement with the national team had limited his preparation time

“He's coming off a difficult period, and he's worked little in recent weeks, partly due to his national team commitments,” Juric was quoted as saying by Tutto Atalanta. 

"I wanted to give him a lot of play to help him regain his rhythm and confidence."

The Croatian coach, however, expressed optimism that Lookman is gradually regaining his form and growing into the team again.

"He can be decisive both from the start and during the game. He just needs to continue to grow, but I see him increasingly becoming part of the team," he added.

Lookman had a challenging start to the campaign following an unsuccessful attempt to force a move to Inter Milan during the summer transfer window.

Since being reintegrated into the squad, he has struggled to hit top form but will be aiming to build on his goal against Milan when Atalanta face Maduka Okoye's Udinese on Saturday.

Adeyemi Adewale

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