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Diego Simeone has offered a final update on Julian Alvarez’s fitness following a late injury scare during Atlético Madrid’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Arsenal.
The Argentina forward was forced off late in the 1-1 draw at the Metropolitano, sparking fears he could miss the second leg in London next week.
Simeone has confidence in Alvarez’s availability
The Atléti hierarchy faced an anxious wait on Wednesday night after their star striker limped off the game with just 13 minutes remaining.
The World Cup winner appeared to catch his ankle during a challenge with Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze and was visibly distressed before being substituted.
Despite the worrying scenes on the sidelines, Simeone was quick to downplay the seriousness of the issue during his post-match media duties.
“Well, knowing them, they will definitely be there on Tuesday,” the Atléti boss told reporters when asked about his mounting injury list. “I don’t think there will be anyone who doesn’t want to play on Tuesday.”
Atlético stars face race against time
Alvarez was not the only casualty of a bruising encounter in the Spanish capital as the hosts count the cost of a physical encounter.
Giuliano Simeone started with a bang, while Alexander Sorloth did not feature at all as he recovers from an injury problem.
Elaborating on the specifics of the complaints, Simeone stated: “I suppose they might be feeling some physical discomfort now. Giuliano from a knock, Julian from the fall he had in the middle of the pitch and Sorloth with a hamstring strain, but I have no doubt they will be there.”
Off-field drama surrounds the semi-final standings
The match itself was preceded by considerable tension between the two camps regarding the condition of the playing surface.
In what has been described as a ‘turf war’, Arsenal reportedly requested a formal UEFA inspection of the pitch of the grass just hours before kick-off as he feared Simeone’s side were looking to slow down their passing game.
The tactical battle continued on the field, with Viktor Gyokeres putting the Gunners ahead from the penalty spot.
Alvarez eventually equalized with a clinical spot-kick of his own, although his night ended prematurely after the collision with Eze.
The second stage is well done to London
With a knife-edge draw at 1-1, Atlético face a quick turnaround before heading to north London.
They are scheduled to face Valencia in La Liga on Saturday, a game that is likely to see Simeone rotate his squad to protect those carrying knocks.
The priority remains to ensure that Alvarez, Giuliano and Sorloth are 100 percent for the return match.
As the Gunners prepare to host Atlético on a surface Mikel Arteta hopes will be more conducive to his side’s style, Alvarez’s fitness remains the biggest talking point.
Should the 26-year-old be ready to start, as Simeone predicts, he will remain the primary threat to Arsenal’s hopes of reaching their first Champions League final since 2006.
