Gerard Deulofeu is still missing in the Udinese engine, where Andrea Sottil can’t wait to be able to insert him to bring back all the horses with which the black and white “machine” is equipped.
According to the programme, the Catalan number 10 should have returned to the group on Monday together with Rodrigo Becao – he had returned “in full swing” to work with his teammates – and instead, Deulofeu was also away from practice matches on Tuesday and therefore from using the ball and possible contrasts, while the running ration carried out in complete solitude on the Bruseschi fields was abundant, where he resumed training alone and for sufficient time to get back on his feet after the month’s break caused by the slight knee sprain remedied last year November 12 in Naples.
Now all we have to do is wait, day by day, for the player to return to the group who on balance, starting today, will have exactly two weeks to find his best form again in view of the first official match of the new year, on 4 January, at 20.45, in Friuli against Empoli.
However, it is logical that for that date Sottil will first want to see the 10 at work, who according to the coach’s personal schedule should find the match climate on Thursday 29 December in Cremona, where Udinese will play a friendly at 1pm behind closed doors.
Just as the test on Friday 23 in Friuli against Lecce will also be behind closed doors, at 3.30 pm, a match that shouldn’t see Udogie on the pitch, who only trained separately yesterday. The left-handed has returned to the group since last week, but in the last two sessions he has only run. Yesterday Roberto Pereyra was also trained separately, who didn’t really play a great game on Saturday night in the 1-0 loss against Athletic Bilbao.
Tucu needs to be reconditioned to find their best form and the prospect is to play only part of the friendly match against Lecce, a test in which Sottil will therefore still not be able to count on the squad at his complete disposal, given the certain absences of Deulofeu, and the probable ones of Udogie and of Becao himself who has few leg workouts.