While Kylian Mbappé is expected to make his debut for Real Madrid when the European Super Cup begins next Wednesday, Nicolò Zaniolo and Teun Koopmeiners are unlikely to be part of Atalanta.
This is the traditional showdown between the winner of the Champions League and the defending champion of the Europa League in the pre-season.
It starts on Wednesday at 8pm British time in Warsaw.
The European Super Cup is getting closer
For La Dea, the tournament should have been a wonderful prestige event, as the club had just won its first UEFA title and was financially able to turn down big offers.
However, a series of blows of fate occurred in the summer: first Giorgio Scalvini and then Gianluca Scamacca were out for six months due to a cruciate ligament tear.
Now it is becoming increasingly likely that Zaniolo will also miss the Supercup as he is suffering from tendonitis in his left foot, the same area that led to his non-participation in EURO 2024 due to a microfracture.
The Italian international has undergone special examinations this week and is not training with the rest of the team today.
Koopmeiners was supposed to be the star in midfield, but coach Gian Piero Gasperini announced that he refused to play because he wanted to force a transfer to Juventus.
Atalanta is weakened by this and will probably have to return to the starting line-up with new signing Mateo Retegui, just days after he joined from Genoa for 28 million euros.
As for Real Madrid, reports from Spain today suggest that former PSG hero Mbappé will start in his Super Cup debut.
Jude Bellingham could also play as he is recovering well from a shoulder injury that bothered him throughout EURO 2024, but it is more likely that Arda Guler and Vinicius Junior will complete the trident attack.
