Just THREE months after tearing his ACL, former West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca has been seen back in training with Atalanta, according to the Daily Star.

The Italian striker was signed by David Moyes for around £35m in the summer of 2022, however, he only lasted a year in East London after failing to adapt.

In total, he played 27 matches for the Hammers, scoring eight goals. This is actually a very respectable record, especially when you take into account some of the abysmal goal scoring records other strikers have had at the club.

However, five of his eight goals were in the early stages of the Conference League, with two coming in the qualifying tie vs Viborg. He was unable to make much of an impact in the Premier League with just three goals in sixteen matches in the top flight.

After a mixed year in Claret and Blue, Scamacca made a £20m switch back to Italy with Atalanta. The 25-year-old really impressed for the Europa League winners, scoring 19 goals in 44 matches in all competitions.

However, back in August, the 6’5 striker suffered a cruciate ligament tear in a friendly match against Parma. Scamacca was initially ruled out for at least six months by doctors, however, he could now be in line to return sooner.

Back in September, Sky Sports Italia reported the Italian striker is recovering ahead of schedule and could even be in line for a return to action in early January.

His hopes of a rapid return have been boosted again this week as the forward was pictured by Atalanta’s social media staff in training. While he is probably still at least a month away from returning to the first-team, having him back a couple of month earlier than expected will be a huge boost for La Dea.

Atalanta are still having an excellent season without the former West Ham man. They currently sit one point behind leaders Napoli. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have won eight of their opening 12 games this term in Serie A, with one of those wins coming against Antonio Conte’s high-flying Napoli.

Just two points separate Napoli in first and Juventus sin sixth in the Serie A table, so the title race is the most open it has ever been. This is an excellent opportunity for Atalanta to win their first ever Serie A title, and having a talented striker like Gianluca Scamacca back for the back half of the season could really help them.