Udinese Returnee Suffers Another Frustrating Injury Setback

Alexis Sanchez’s return to Udinese has been a textbook definition of a nightmare, with the Chilean yet to make his long-awaited debut this season. According to Calciomercato, another injury setback has postponed the 35-year-old’s first appearance for the Friulians since rejoining the club in the summer.

After helping Inter to their 20th Scudetto last term, Sanchez returned to Udinese, a club he left for Barcelona in 2011. Despite being in the autumn of his playing career, he was supposed to be a massive coup for Kosta Runjaic’s side after arriving on a free transfer in August,

However, Sanchez cannot catch a break. Yet to step onto the pitch this term, he continues to deal with a nasty calf problem. Therefore, Udinese will not be able to call upon the ex-Arsenal forward for the upcoming Serie A clash against high-flying Atalanta.

There was slight optimism that Sanchez could make his comeback by the end of November. But that timeline is no longer looking realistic, as his recovery has faced further complications. The Chilean ace is now fighting to regain full fitness by December.

This hiccup means Udinese will continue to rely on their existing attacking options, which have struggled to find consistency in Sanchez’s absence. Three defeats across their last four league outings perhaps best illustrate the depth of the crisis ahead of Sunday’s daunting away encounter against Atalanta.

Indeed, Udines have recently blown hot and cold in the front third, failing to score in two of their last four league matches while netting precisely twice in the other two.