The long-awaited return of Domenico Berardi from a meniscus tear lasted just an hour. He went down in a heap early in the second half against Verona after planting his foot awkwardly. He was quickly diagnosed with a right Achilles tendon tear.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the attacker will undergo more tests to confirm the initial impression but is already scheduling surgery. Footballers often visit a specialist in Finland for this kind of operation, but he will likely have it closer to home.
Berardi will miss the rest of the season, the 2024 European Championship, and perhaps even a portion of the next one depending on how the rehab goes. He closes his campaign with 9 goals and 3 assists in 17 appearances.
Sassuolo fell to the penultimate position following the loss to Verona. It was their fourth in a row and sixth in the last seven matches. The Scaligeri and Cagliari are three points above them.
The 29-year-old started trice under Luciano Spalletti. He bagged a brace versus Malta and provided an assist against North Macedonia.
Our Take on Berardi
It’s devastating news for Sassuolo, which were clinging to his comeback to turn their terrible season around. Davide Ballardini will have to handle the emotional aftershock very carefully. They still have more quality than a few teams ahead of them, but they need to be grittier and find a pair of leaders who can carry them. They have been glaringly missing that in recent tilts.
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