Atletico Madrid have completed their final training session ahead of their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Barcelona, and the session brought good news and bad news to Diego Simeone.
According to Mundo Deportivo , the biggest positive on the training ground is the return of Nico Gonzalez.
advertise
The Argentinian was able to train normally with the rest of the team and recover in time for crucial games.
His presence is expected to provide Atletico with more options in midfield, especially in high-intensity games like this.
Another encouraging sign is the return of Mark Purbier. The defender missed the last game due to illness but has returned to the team for full training.
His introduction provides Simeone with additional depth at the back, which is important in countering Barcelona’s attacking threats.
Atletico players absent
Despite these improvements, Atletico were still without two important players in the semifinals.
Pablo Barrios will miss the game against Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
advertise
Pablo Barrios was expected to miss the game, but that has now been confirmed.
Johnny Cardoso, meanwhile, has also been ruled out after failing to recover from discomfort that kept him out of the team’s two games against Real Betis last week.
Speaking before the game, Simeone made it clear that he would not dwell on his absences but would instead focus on preparing the players who are available.
“We don’t have Barrios and I need to focus on what we’re going to do, how we’re going to start the game and what kind of competition we’re going to face.”
However, Barcelona are dealing with injury issues of their own as the Catalan side travel to Madrid without Marcus Rashford and Raphinha, both of whom are unavailable for the match.
The situation in the midfield is also complicated, with Pedri, Garvey and Christensen all ruled out.
