Chievo vs Atalanta preview - La Dea move on from Peluso sale

Atalanta may have lost influential defender Federico Peluso to Juventus earlier this week but they are refusing to rue his departure as they prepare to face Chievo.

Peluso signed for the Bianconeri when the January transfer market opened but although it leaves Atalanta coach Stefano Colantuono with a hole to fill for the trip to Verona, he said he could never have imagined standing in the way of a dream move for the Italy full-back.

"I am delighted for him," he told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

"Three years ago, he still had a lot of maturing to do and he was in a bad way, but I believed in him a lot and when I came back here, I sold (Gyorgy) Garics and kept him."

The loss of a key component in his Nerazzurri side does not concern Colantuono too much as he still sees progress being made.

"We have improved and grown and we are playing with consistency this season," he said.

Atlanta have picked up four points from their last two homes games but they have suffered three successive defeats on their travels to lie 11th in the standings.

That is one spot above a Chievo side who saw their good run ended by a 2-0 defeat at Torino just before Christmas.

Before that game, the Flying Donkeys had won three in a row after drawing with Siena and they will be hoping for a return to that form.

Chievo coach Eugenio Corini acknowledges Atalanta will not be an easy team to break down, though.

"They are a solid side who have changed their system of playing," he said on his club's website.

"They are very strong physically, but they also have some technically strong players too, like German Denis, Giacomo Bonaventura, Maximiliano Moralez or Luca Cigarini.

"It's going to be a hard game against a side who know this league well and are led by a very good coach."