Atletico Madrid face Real Sociedad on Matchday 5 of the 2026–27 LaLiga season. However, Los Colchoneros will be without a key player for the fixture, as Julian Alvarez has been left out of the squad entirely.
Atletico Madrid face a demanding away match on Matchday 5 to take on Real Sociedad. Following a run of underwhelming recent results, they have now suffered another major setback ahead of this crucial clash.
On Sunday morning, it was revealed that Julian Alvarez would not play against Real Sociedad. The striker suffered a muscle overload during Saturday’s training session and did not travel with the squad.
Atletico Madrid need Julian Alvarez
Despite the tension between Julian Alvarez and Atletico Madrid following the player’s summer transfer request, the Argentine striker remains a vital asset for the club this season.

Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid.
In the minutes he has played, Alvarez has displayed the commitment and professionalism that supporters feared might be lacking after his transfer request.

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While his overall output is still below what Atletico Madrid expect from him, he has shown no signs of disinterest; on the contrary, he continues to battle for every ball and remains eager to support the team in any way possible.












