This week will be key for Leonardo Spinazzola as he enters the decisive stages of his recovery.
The 28-year-old Italian full back suffered an Achilles tendon rupture during Italy’s Euro 2020 quarter final match against Belgium last summer and he has been on the sidelines since, working hard to recover from the serious injury.
As reported by Sky Sports, Spinazzola is now close to making his return. He is currently training alone but is pushing hard, and on January 15 he’ll undergo a round of tests to check if he’ll be able to return to squad training.
If these tests return positive results, Spinazzola then could be included in the match squad after the international break at the end of January, making him potentially available for the match against Genoa on February 6.
The 28-year-old Italian full back was one of the Azzurri’s stars during their successful Euro 2020 run last summer and his injury was a major blow to both Italy and Roma fans.
Infortunio #Spinazzola, c’è la data del rientro in campo https://t.co/HQ1l8Vks62
— CalcioNews24.com (@CalcioNews24) January 11, 2022
If Spina can get 4 full matches in, then he’s gotta be there for the Playoffs. As much as I detest Roma, their fans are really going to hate him going back to Italy duty. Too bad.
I expect Insigne’s level to rise significantly if he’s back. Emerson and Insigne never did mesh.
Game changer for both Roma and Azzurri !
He is sorely missed by both squads !
Really hope he comes back for Italy. It’s crucial now that Chiesa is out. Would also be interesting to see Raspadori come instead of Insigne, and could link up well with Immobile / Scamacca and Spina on left
Spina’s absence has been felt by the Azzurri – we haven’t been the same without him. If he gets three or four solid games in with Roma before the end of March, then he needs to be called up for the playoffs. Spina’s understanding on the left with Insigne was magic, and will be a huge boost for the team in their push to qualify for the World Cup.
The dropoff from Spina to Emerson is substantial. That’s why I feel Spina’s injury was much worse for Italy than that of Chiesa. The natural replacement for Chiesa on the right is Berardi, who has been one of the best players in Serie A this season. We don’t lose much with that replacement.