The championship of the new Reggina increasingly resembles a video game: after each level or test passed, the difficulties and unexpected events increase. The joy for the victory over Lamezia did not last long both because we had to immediately prepare for the away match against Ragusa and because yesterday news of Nino Barillà’s injury has arrived.
A blow suffered in Wednesday’s match caused him to sprain his right ankle. This was revealed by the instrumental tests he underwent and we are waiting to understand what the recovery times will be. The physical problem is one of those for which the recovery date is difficult to establish immediately and the fact that the game will already be played the day after tomorrow increases the risk that the Amaranths will have to do without their captain.
The only certain thing is that, if the conditions were right to play with gritted teeth, Barillà would be ready to take the field. A choice that will also have to be made taking into account the need to limit risks. In fact, we will be on the pitch against league leaders Trapani on Wednesday.
However, current events say that Trocini must face the possibility of finding himself without his most important man. In the first eight matches the captain proved to be the technical leader of the Amaranths and a point of reference for the whole group.
If you can’t do it, you should think about alternatives. With the change of formation in the last match Barillà returned to acting more as a midfielder (in the 4-3-3) than practically as an attacking midfielder (in the 3-4-1-2 in the attacking phase). A Mungo in a more advanced position than usual or Ricci would be the most likely options to replace him.
We need to think one match at a time, but also aware that the next two matches for Reggina are a fundamental crossroads for the rest of the season. The team is virtually fourth (-7 from first), adding to the ranking the three points that will come from the forfeit victory against Città di Sant’Agata.
The most recurring question at this stage is: what is the real Reggina? The one that made a bad impression against the Sicilians or the one that clearly surpassed Lamezia with tactical intelligence and technical quality?
This question can perhaps be answered only after the calendar returns to an ordinary rhythm.
The match against Ragusa on Sunday and the one on Wednesday against Trapani will be the eighth and ninth match respectively in a month. An enormous number of commitments, especially for those who only signed up for the championship on September 11th and often played every three days to catch up with the rest of the tournament participants.
The fatigue makes itself felt and there are important absences. In this phase the only thing that matters is scoring points, even with a pinch of luck and even going beyond the known limits linked to an attack which, while waiting for Bolzicco and Rosseti, is not worth that of the pacesetters in terms of scoring.
