A nearly double-digit injury record. Cagliari enters the break with an impressive nine players injured, most of them in the back line: Giuseppe Aurelio, Riyad Idrissi, Yerry Mina, and Adam Obert in defense, Harry Winks in midfield, Alieu Fadera and Mattia Felici on the wings, M'Bala Nzola and Yael Trepy in attack. A true emergency, which is why Fabio Pisacane can—for once—thank the international break, which will give him until Saturday the 21st (away to Como, at 3:00 PM) to recover some key players. That said, against Frosinone, those who replaced the numerous absentees didn't make them feel regretted.

Recent troubles

The latest update concerns Obert. Pisacane, in Friday's press conference, had predicted a knee problem for the defender (who would have missed the Frosinone match due to suspension). This is why Slovakia excluded him from the squad, after initially including him: "In agreement with the coach, he remained in Italy to continue his recovery," the federation explained. It will therefore be up to the Rossoblu medical staff to evaluate him. The same goes for Trepy, who is extremely unlucky: on Saturday, he was back as a starter, almost three months after his scare in the swimming pool, but his first start of the season lasted just 28 minutes. The initial diagnosis was a muscle strain in his left thigh flexors: he asked to be substituted in the 24th minute, after a tackle on the edge of the penalty area that didn't even appear dangerous. He left the field in tears; he is scheduled for tests, but there is hope that he may have stopped in time and avoided worsening problems.

Repeated stops

Then there are Mina and Winks, two key Cagliari players forced to sit out for the second time in a short space of time. The Colombian defender had already suffered a calf problem at the end of August, and now he's injured his hamstring. Essentially, it's a strain. He's often accustomed to quick recoveries, but now it depends on how he responds in these two weeks. In his absence, Raphael Kofler provided excellent performances. Winks, on the other hand, was called up for the Frosinone match but didn't even make the bench due to a back strain during the final training session. He'll need to be monitored closely: he was also removed at halftime against Bologna two weeks ago due to a back problem. There's hope for him and Obert to recover for Como.

Possible returns

Aurelio's low-grade soleus tear in his left leg could be over in two weeks, while Nicola Grandu (making his professional debut) has filled in admirably for multiple absences on the left. Fadera and Nzola were sidelined at the Olimpico against Lazio, both with right thigh injuries: the former with a hamstring tear, the latter with a low-grade flexor strain. It's not a given that they'll make it to Como, a special match for the Gambian, still owned by Como. The break could also lead to Idrissi's return to the squad after eight months, having torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in his last match against the Lombardy club. Felici's right knee, however, has been sidelined, and he won't be back on the pitch until late in the season.

Richard Spignesi

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