Simeone worried about Barrios

Simeone informes Torres he won't be featured: set to become Koke's new partner

The Argentine is betting on a reserve team's player for the replacing of Pablo Barrios, during this month

It's one of this season's biggest news at Atlético de Madrid : the returning from his loan to Austrian football. Diego Simeone has always liked his profile as a player, for obvious reasons, he was not fit to play. Competence, youth, everything counts, now he sees him much more prepared, although he continues with his training.

Javi Serrano is shaping up to be the reliable reinforcement that Simeone needed in this summer market. He is aiming to play against Valencia, Fernando Torres said last Saturday that he sees him prepared and willing to contribute to the reserve team and that he will bring his experience . The club was very surprised and pleased that both Javi Serrano and Víctor Mollejo have agreed to play for the reserve team.

Javi Serrano
Simeone really likes Javi Serrano | Atlético de Madrid

It may seem like a step back, but for the Madrid coach: "When you put on the Atleti shirt, you know you're in a special place. And that can be said of any level," he said. Now he has the chance to join the first team, where he has already been recruited by Diego Pablo Simeone to train this week.

Serrano will help Koke

With the Madrid midfielder out, Javi Serrano will be an important part of the rotation, and it is quite likely that he will get minutes. Pablo Barrios will miss seven games, and in case of any problems with Koke , Rodrigo de Paul or Marcos Llorente , the youth player is prepared. In the preseason games, the coach was very satisfied with what he saw from the player that he made debut in the First Division .

Javi Serrano had a very sad moment, which was his expulsion against Cádiz , a sin of youth, say those who know him. That moment caused a change and he was reduced in minutes, although he was able to play half of the game against Granada , in matchday 33. But it was his last time; he has already started a path that brings him back to the club from Madrid.

Called up against Valencia

If things don't change in the coming days, he will be on the list against Valencia and will return to a first-team call-up. He has not been officially called up to one of them since 2022, when he was called up on the penultimate matchday of the 21/22 League , the day Luis Suárez said goodbye to Atlético . The Madrid native never gave up and always hoped to have another chance with the club of his life.

There is no doubt that his recent successful experience in the Austrian League, where he won the title with Sturm Graz, has made him grow. He went from less to more, participating in a total of 17 games, winning the League and the Austrian Cup . An experience that has also allowed him to play in the Champions League and Conference League , back home, is here to stay.