Alarm bells are ringing in the offices and in the infirmary of Atlético de Madrid at the Cívitas Metropolitano . The international break, which began last week and will end this week before club football returns this weekend, has left bad news. And, as often happens in this type of call-up, several players can get injured and return to their teams, causing very important absences.
This is what has happened to Atléticode Madrid with its great midfielder, Pablo Barrios . The Madrid native was called up again by Santi Denia 's Spanish Under-21 team , but was soon left with discomfort that forced him to leave his teammates' training camp. Now, after undergoing several tests, the club already knows what he is suffering from and how long he will be out.
Alarming setback for Simeone
According to Matteo Moretto and Isabel Pacheco in Relevo,Pablo Barrios has suffered a muscle tear that will mean he will miss several of the matches that will be played this September. In fact, he could be out for up to three weeks, causing a vital absence for Diego PabloSimeone , who had found in the Madrid native the best compatriot for Koke . And at 21 years of age, he has taken the step forward that was so much asked of him last season, giving a great performance.
In fact, Pablo Barrios has started three of the first four games that Atlético de Madrid has played in this league start. In addition, he has shown a greater degree of involvement, personality and desire, reminiscent of Koke when he was young. Attentive to steals, to passes between the lines and, above all, agile in offering himself to his teammates, becoming a breath of fresh air for the midfield.
In search of his replacement
Diego Pablo Simeone will have to find a replacement for Pablo Barrios for the month of September that has just begun. Atlético de Madrid has several weeks ahead of them with high-level matches, including the start of the ChampionsLeague . Valencia, Leipzig, Rayo Vallecano, Celta, Real Madrid, Benfica and Real Sociedad will be, in that order, the matches of the colchonero club in the ninth month of this year 2024.
Therefore, finding a replacement for Pablo Barrios will be essential for the team. In this sense, Rodrigo de Paul, Conor Gallagher and even Marcos Llorente could be the ones chosen by Cholo to cover the absence of the "8". We will have to follow the next tests of the Argentine coach very closely to clear up any doubts and find out his plan to replace one of his best players at the start.