Atlético de Madrid completed their penultimate training session at the Metropolitano this morning before hosting Girona on Sunday. For now, Simeone's biggest doubts remain in the midfield, with several options. The Argentine coach has three players for two places, not taking into account Conor Gallagher, who was presented today.
The English midfielder has already been registered on the LaLiga website, but will start as a substitute in the next matchday. The one who seems likely to start is Pablo Barrios , who was in the trial of the theoretical starting eleven of the red-and-white team. The other position is being competed for by Koke and Rodrigo de Paul , although there is no definitive decision.
Conor Gallagher ready to make his debut
The big news for the match against Girona will be the presentation of the English international alongside the rest of his teammates. Conor Gallagher had a special night at the Metropolitano alongside his new fans, speaking to the media today. Now, all he needs to do is make his debut with the Atlético shirt, something he could achieve this Sunday in the LaLiga match.
Simeone bets on Pablo Barrios
One of the clues that the Argentine coach is leaving is that the youth player is set to be very important during this campaign. Pablo Barrios has been one of the key pieces in the Spanish team at the Olympic Games , winning the gold medal. In addition, he seems to have adapted perfectly to the position of central midfielder.
The Spanish midfielder already started against Villarreal , completing the entire match in the midfield. Therefore, Simeone would have to decide to continue betting on him and he would be a starter again for the match against Girona at the Metropolitano . However, Simeone has an important doubt in the engine room and that is who will be the teammate of the youth team player.
Koke puts Rodrigo de Paul ahead
In yesterday's training session, the Argentine was in the theoretical starting line-up, with the Atlético captain left out. However, Koke is a pillar in Simeone 's plans and it would be strange for him to start from the bench. On the other hand, the world champion received a lot of criticism against Villarreal despite only playing the last few minutes.
His poor form, combined with a lack of commitment and work, made him the centre of attention at Atlético de Madrid . It cannot be ruled out that he will start, as Rodrigo de Paul needs to show his best version in a completely different setting. The Argentine is under close surveillance and the arrival of Conor Gallagher leaves him little room if he does not want to lose his importance in the squad.