UCL: Atalanta suffer Ademola Lookman blow against Barcelona

Ademola Lookman has picked up a knee injury and is expected to miss Atalanta's Champions League game against Barcelona on Wednesday evening.

According to reports, the CAF Player of the Year will not fly to Spain with the rest of the team but will stay behind to undergo tests in Bergamo.

Atalanta will be hoping the tests confirm the injury is not too serious as his absence over a long period could derail their excellent season so far.

Lookman, 27, has 14 goals and seven assists in 27 appearances across all competitions and was rewarded with a Ballon d'Or nomination and crowned Africa's best for 2024.

Atalanta are currently 7th in UEFA Champions League standings and a win over Barca will assure them direct entry into the last-16 without having to navigate a two-legged playoff affair.

The nature of Lookman's injury is unclear but preliminary reports suggest he picked up the injury in Monday's training session and could be out for a few weeks.

Lookman joined Atalanta from RB Leipzig for just €9.3m in the summer of 2022 and has gone on to establish himself as one of the best players in the world, with standout performances, goals and assists.