FILE -Atalanta's Gianluca Scamacca heads the ball during a training...

FILE -Atalanta's Gianluca Scamacca heads the ball during a training session one day ahead of the Europa League soccer Final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, May 21, 2024 . Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth

BERGAMO, Italy — Atalanta and Italy forward Gianluca Scamacca will undergo knee surgery on Monday and will likely be sidelined for the next six months.

Scamacca had to be helped off the field early in the second half of Sunday’s friendly match against Parma. He could not even put his left leg on the ground after injuring himself as he tried to stop a ball in the opponent’s penalty area.

The 25-year-old left the stadium on crutches and tests on Monday revealed the seriousness of the injury.

“Following a clinical consultation with Prof. Pierpaolo Mariani at the Villa Stuart Clinic in Rome, Gianluca Scamacca underwent diagnostic tests which revealed an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in his left knee,” Atalanta said in a statement.

“This afternoon … the footballer will undergo arthroscopic surgery. Prof. Mariani himself will carry out the operation.”

Atalanta did not say how long Scamacca will be out but it is likely he will not return until February, ruling him out of the majority of the season — including the Super Cup against Real Madrid on August 14 and the new league phase of the Champions League.

Scamacca played a key role in Atalanta’s success last season, helping it win the Europa League and finish fourth in Serie A.

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