Rome (AFP)
Atalanta Bergamo's Slovenian striker Josip Ilicic is at risk of missing out against Paris SG in the Champions League quarter-finals, his coach Gian Piero Gasperini said on Tuesday.
"I don't know, we see it day by day. But it seems difficult to me," Gasperini said in response to a question about Ilicic's presence against the Parisians.
Injured to the right ankle in June, Ilicic then played a few ends of the match and then completely disappeared from the scoresheets and is no longer summoned, without the club having communicated on his state of health.
"We had to do without Zapata for a long time and now we have to deal with this very heavy absence," said Gasperini.
"We don't have any other player with Ilicic's characteristics. We are sorting out a bit with Pasalic, a bit with Malinovskyi, a bit with Gomez who can play everywhere," he added.
Extremely talented but long irregular, Ilicic, 32, had managed until confinement a magnificent season, arguably the best of his career. He notably scored a quadruple against Valencia in the round of 16 second leg of C1 (4-3).
"For us, Ilicic is fundamental. Until March he was unstoppable in the league as in the Cups. It's as if he missed Dybala at Juventus, Immobile at Lazio or Lukaku at Inter," again regretted Gasperini.
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