Simeone is aware of the importance of getting two wins this week, as Atlético de Madrid cannot afford any more mistakes. However, it is inevitable that the red-and-white team will need to rotate to avoid suffering more muscle injuries in their squad. Players such as Koke or Julián Alvarez are expected to be substitutes tomorrow, while there are two players who are already training normally.
These are Thomas Lemar and Rodrigo de Paul , both of whom were not included in the list of players called up for the last match against Rayo Vallecano . In the case of the Frenchman, he has not yet played a single minute nor has he been included in any of the lists offered by Simeone . For his part, the Argentine has been playing a lot of roles this season, although he had to watch the last match from home.
Thomas Lemar, an unknown
The French international is one of the biggest problems that Atlético de Madrid has to deal with this season. Although he got minutes in the friendlies, he disappeared from training and has not been included in any of the squad lists. He has been training with the group for several days and everything points to him being able to be present in tomorrow's match against Celta de Vigo .
His recovery could help Simeone to distribute more of his midfield, as Pablo Barrios ' injury has been a major obstacle. However, he has not played an official match since that injury against Valencia , and it is a mystery what his form will be. For now, it does not seem that he will add minutes in the short term, but it will be a great help if he manages to get back to his best physical form.
Rodrigo de Paul, a possible starter in Vigo
The reigning world champion was not in the match against Rayo Vallecano after having trained on the sidelines in recent days. Today he was one more player alongside his teammates and Simeone is considering whether to give him a starting role and give Koke a rest. The Atletico captain is the player in the squad who has played the most minutes, even ahead of Jan Oblak , who was absent in Bilbao .
His return will be a real blessing for the engine room, an area of the pitch that suffered too much in the last matchday of the league championship. In fact, with the exception of the first test against Villarreal , his level has been consistently good, something that was needed. Even so, Simeone has done numerous tests this morning, and it remains a mystery what his final approach will be.
Koke is going to rest
One thing that seems certain is that the youth-team player will start tomorrow's game from the bench, in what would be his second substitute role. Of the seven games played so far, Koke has started in six of them and had minutes in the other. Simeone needs him in his best physical condition, even more so considering that Real Madrid will have more than 48 hours of rest than the Atletico players.