Atletico Madrid host Osasuna on Wednesday at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in a LaLiga clash, but Diego Simeone will have to make do without one of his key attacking options for the occasion.
Julian Alvarez will miss the match as he continues his recovery from a muscle overload picked up in training last week. It marks the Argentine’s second consecutive absence, having also sat out Atletico’s 3-0 win away at Real Sociedad, and his fourth missed match out of seven possible so far this season.
Simeone confirmed the decision during the press conference: “Based on what we’ve discussed with the medical staff, he’s still in recovery, so he won’t be able to join us tomorrow“. The Atletico manager did not disclose further details on the severity of the injury.
With an eye on Sunday’s Madrid derby against Real Madrid, the priority for Alvarez and the club’s medical staff is managing his recovery so that he is available for that fixture rather than rushing him back for a match against Osasuna.
Alvarez isn’t the only absence for Atletico Madrid
Alexander Sorloth is also unavailable for the game with a calf injury, while midfielder Pablo Barrios has been left out of Simeone’s squad with a calf issue of his own, rounding out three key absences for Atletico Madrid heading into the match.
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In their absence, Jonathan David is expected to lead the line, with Lee Kang-in and Ademola Lookman among the options to fill out the rest of the attack and midfield.
Simeone used his pre-match press conference to call for patience with his squad as it continues to take shape, pointing to the scale of turnover at the club this summer. “The team is a work in progress,” Simeone said. “This summer, seven players left and five came in“.
The Atletico coach has leaned on rotation through the opening weeks of the season, which has produced a mixed run so far: three wins, one draw and one loss in LaLiga, good for 10 points and fourth place after five matchdays, alongside a disappointing start in Europe, where Atletico Madrid opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 loss at Liverpool.
