Atletico Madrid welcome Osasuna to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Wednesday for a LaLiga fixture, but head coach Diego Simeone will be without one of his pivotal attacking players for the encounter.
Julian Alvarez will not feature after continuing his rehabilitation from a muscle overload sustained during training last week. The Argentine’s absence marks his second consecutive game missed, having also been excluded from the squad in Atletico’s 3-0 away victory over Real Sociedad, and his fourth unavailable match out of seven possible so far this campaign.
Simeone addressed the matter at his pre-match press conference: “Based on our discussions with the medical team, he is still in recovery, so he will not be joining us tomorrow“. The manager declined to elaborate on the extent of the setback.
With Sunday’s Madrid derby against Real Madrid looming, the focus for both Alvarez and the club’s medical staff is on ensuring his readiness for that fixture rather than risking his availability by rushing him back for the Osasuna match.
Alvarez Is Not the Only Absentee for Atletico Madrid
Alexander Sorloth is also sidelined with a calf injury, while midfielder Pablo Barrios has been omitted from the squad due to his own calf concern, leaving Atletico Madrid with three significant absences heading into the match.
In their absence, Jonathan David is expected to spearhead the attack, with Lee Kang-in and Ademola Lookman among those in contention for starting roles across the forward line and midfield.
Simeone used Tuesday’s press conference to urge caution with his developing squad, highlighting the magnitude of this summer’s restructuring. “The team is a work in progress,” he stated. “Seven players departed this summer and five new ones arrived“.
The Atletico coach has relied on rotation during the early weeks of the season, yielding a mixed record thus far: three wins, one draw, and one loss in LaLiga, accumulating 10 points and sitting in fourth place after five matchdays. The campaign has also gotten off to a worrying start in Europe, with Atletico Madrid suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool in their opening Champions League group-stage outing.
