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Josip Ilicic recently made his return to the world of football after being sidelined for a significant period of time due to personal issues, and might soon be returning to FIFA 23 as well. The Slovenian marksman made a name for himself with Serie A giants Atalanta, becoming a mainstay on their roster and scoring regularly for the Italian side. However, his battle with mental health issues severely hindered his career.
He spent over a decade in Serie A playing for clubs like Fiorentina and Atalanta while earning a reputation as one of the most lethal forwards in the league. He was capable of playing in multiple attacking positions, striking the ball with ferocity and stunning accuracy from any range. His style of play has been reflected accurately in his FIFA ratings over the years, and his possible return to FIFA 23 has caused quite a stir.
Note: Josip Ilicic's return to FIFA 23 has not been confirmed. This article is entirely speculative.
Josip Ilicic would prove to be a valuable addition to the FIFA 23 roster
After mutually agreeing to end his contract with Atalanta in August, Josip Ilicic has returned to his former club NK Maribor. The forward has gone back to his roots in the Slovenian league and recently scored his first goal of the season, much to the excitement of his fans around the globe.
Unfortunately, neither NK Maribor nor the Slovenian League are part of the official FIFA 23 roster. This means that if the Slovenian forward is included in the game's lineup, he will feature as a free agent and can be signed for free in Career Mode. This is an exciting revelation for Career Mode fans but will leave FUT enthusiasts rather disappointed, as Ilicic has been a mainstay in the game mode for years.
When will Ilicic be added to FIFA 23?
Whenever an addition is made to the FIFA roster, EA Sports releases a Squad Update in-game. With the upcoming World Cup mode, it is possible for the developers to introduce a number of new players to the game to account for the various international lineups taking part in the tournament. In such a scenario, Ilicic could be added to the game over the course of the next few weeks.
However, if this is not the case, EA Sports could potentially include him on the roster once the tournament reaches its conclusion. The month of January is infamously used for squad updates in FIFA, especially due to the transfer window, which would be an ideal opportunity.
What will he be like in-game?
He has always received decent overall ratings in FIFA, along with multiple special cards in Ultimate Team due to his incredible performances in the league and European competitions. He had an overall rating of 84 in the previous iteration of FIFA and possessed five-star skill moves, along with the following attributes in six key aspects:
- Pace: 75
- Dribbling: 86
- Shooting: 86
- Defending: 40
- Passing: 84
- Physicality: 67
Despite possessing some incredible statistics, Ilicic has historically been unusable in-game due to his lack of pace and large build. However, the new AcceleRATE system will make him the ideal meta-attacker in FIFA 23.
As he is past his prime and playing in the lower tiers of European competitions, he will undoubtedly be downgraded if he is added to the roster, but can still prove to be a valuable addition to any side with his attacking abilities.
