Papers make Lookman prediction after Gasperini’s controversial penalty comments – Football Italia – February 23 latest

Multiple outlets suggest that Ademola Lookman will still start for Atalanta in their Serie A match away against Empoli on Sunday evening, despite a public back-and-forth with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini following the team’s exit from the Champions League earlier in the week. 

Lookman came on at half-time and scored immediately in the second leg of an eventual 5-2 aggregate loss to Club Brugge, but stepped up to take a penalty for which he was not the designated taker, and was not able to convert. 

Gasperini went on to label the Nigeria international as ‘one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen’, which led Lookman to release a statement calling the comments ‘hurtful and deeply disrespectful’. 

Read more: Why Lookman and Gasperini have fallen out 

Multiple former players and pundits have come out in support of the reigning African Player of the Year in the days following the statements, and Gasperini has since hinted that his time in Bergamo might be coming to an end. 

Lookman still expected to start after Gasperini fall-out

Despite the Atalanta fractions earlier in the week, both Sky Sport Italia and La Gazzetta dello Sport suggest that Lookman is still in line to start against Empoli alongside Charles De Ketelaere and Mateo Retegui. 

If that is the case, it will be the 27-year-old’s first start in Serie A since the 2-1 victory over Como on January 25.