Only in the middle of next week will it be understood more clearly whether, for the European Championship debut against Albania, Italy will have Nicolò Barella in their lineup, or at least available. If even the federal president says so, there is a (small?) doubt: “Barella worries us a little, although not excessively. We await him with great anxiety”, was the summary of Gabriele Gravina, yesterday on the stage of the Serie A Festival. And Gigi Buffon, shortly afterwards, despite his optimistic tones, did not untie the knot: “Nicolò will carry out new tests and with the results of the tests we will understand better. But it could already be with Albania”. So there could still be something to understand: let’s use the conditional as the head of the delegation did regarding Barella’s presence for the debut against Sylvinho’s team.
More tests today
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The analysis of Gravina’s words can help to understand better. The “not excessively” avoids the risk of a cut, obviously net of a worsening. Today was unexpected, so much so that the medical staff, and the player himself, continue to give reassuring readings of the situation: as normal, given that the tests carried out at the beginning of the week ruled out injuries, only detecting an unspecified strain in the right rectus femoris. The president’s “it worries us a little” confirms that the timing of full recovery cannot yet be delineated with precision. In this sense, the test that Barella will undergo today, probably this morning, will be able to help: a test that will have to verify whether and to what extent the rest of the past few days has had the desired effects and “authorize” the player to gradually resume normal preparation . A reconditioning that will be the preview of returning to the group.
The alternatives
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Yes, but when? The point is this: until now, compared to his teammates, Barella has done none of the preparatory work studied by Spalletti’s staff in view of the European Championship. Will there be conditions to accelerate (“Then we will have to run”, said Spalletti on Wednesday) soon enough, i.e. in time to think about a full recovery for Italy-Albania on the 15th? Or will a more prudent path be chosen, to avoid the risk of “losing” the player? The first findings, those from the beginning of next week, will already be indicative and another important response will arrive when Barella starts kicking again. The first match of the group is fundamental, but there is the possibility of considering a sacrifice to then get the Inter player back to the top for the rest of the European Championship. Also because, due to its characteristics, having it narrow-gauge, or in any case fearful, not free to force, would mean giving up a good percentage of a performance which is indispensable for the team’s play. At that point, if caution is chosen, for the first match Spalletti could focus on the experience and reliability of Cristante, the most likely replacement today, already used in Bologna against Turkey. The alternative could be Frattesi, unless Spalletti sees Fagioli as more complementary to Jorginho than what was hypothesized in recent days. But there in the middle he would be missing a bit of “shell” at that point.
Buffon and Gattuso
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Regardless of the first match, the hope evoked yesterday by Gigi Buffon remains relevant. Who without bothering the previous Verratti (he missed the first two matches of the European Championship three years ago, but his postponed recovery had been planned for some time) recalled what happened in “his” World Cup, the one in 2006, with Gattuso: “Rino he wasn’t well and they even wanted to send him home: he wanted to tie himself to a chair and said “Don’t send me away, he missed the first match and then he was decisive, coming on after De Rossi’s expulsion against the USA”. In other words: Barella could be our Gattuso. Certainly in Coverciano they describe Nicolò as serene, not only because of the birth of little Romeo. Yesterday, ahead of Spalletti who commented on his condition with a smile, he arrived on the pitch together with the rest of the group, but obviously, when shortly after 5pm his teammates took to the pitch, he wasn’t there (like Meret), limiting himself to therapies and work in the gym. This morning the exam that everyone is waiting for and which will also be able to confirm the hopes of Calhanoglu, who already on Tuesday evening, in light of what later emerged, had given a rather precise picture of the situation. He said: “I’m sorry that Nicolò has this problem, but hopefully he can return quickly.” Teammates always tell each other the truth.
