Atalanta manager Raffaele Palladino has admitted the club will feel the impact of losing Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.

Lookman, who is included in Eric Chelle’s 55-man provisional squad, has become an essential figure for the Bergamo side since joining the club. The in-form winger scored in Atalanta’s 2–0 victory over Fiorentina, taking his tally to three goals in ten appearances this season.

But with AFCON 2025 kicking off on December 21, Atalanta will be without the 28-year-old at a critical stretch of their campaign.

Palladino acknowledges Lookman’s importance

Speaking to Sky Sport during his pre-match press briefing, Palladino addressed the challenge of coping without Lookman and another departing player during the AFCON window.

“We are losing two important players for us, strong and decisive,” he said, as quoted by Tuttomercatoweb.
“But we are getting back Kolasinac and Scalvini, who are equally important. We need to recover Sulemana too, he had a small issue. I’m trying to get everyone back because I need all my players to feel involved.”

Lookman’s AFCON duties mean he will be unavailable for several major fixtures: Genoa vs Atalanta – December 21 (AFCON opening day); Atalanta vs Inter – January 3; Atalanta vs Roma – January 7; Matches against Bologna, Torino, and Pisa A scheduled friendly/European fixture vs Athletic Club.

His absence leaves a notable creative gap in Atalanta’s frontline, with Palladino now relying on squad depth to navigate a packed December–January schedule.

While Atalanta count the cost of losing one of their most influential attackers, Lookman will now shift focus to helping Nigeria chase continental glory in Morocco.