Atletico Madrid News
Five Atletico Madrid stars could miss the derby against Real Madrid – report
A troubling Atletico Madrid side have plenty of issues to work on ahead of the first Madrid derby of the season.
To begin with, Jan Oblak, Jose Maria Gimenez, Stefan Savic, Thomas Lemar and Sergio Reguilon did not train to prepare for the match, reports journalist Pedro Fullana.
This casts major doubt over the participation of the aforementioned players. First up, custodian Jan Oblak has practically forced himself into the situation he is in today. The goalkeeper was injured against Real Sociedad and yet went on to play against FC Porto.
This forced him out against Celta Vigo and Bayer Leverkusen. His understudy Ivo Grbic has done a decent job but the Croatian has let in three goals in the last two outings.
Meanwhile, the unstable defence has been a major concern for manager Diego Simeone since the start of the season.
Axel Witsel and Reinildo have been occupying the space in absence of regular centre-backs and as it seems, Cholo will have to field the same duo against their cross-town rivals as Savic and Gimenez continue to be major doubts for the clash.
The aforementioned makeshift centre-backs are the team’s best bet heading into the fixture, but it must be noted that the team has conceded at least one goal in each of their last four outings.
The left side of the defence is even more troubling since Reguilon, who is still recovering from the pubalgia operation, is ruled out for the fixture. The ex-Tottenham man is yet to make an appearance for his new team and it is clear that it won’t be happening against Real Madrid.
So far, the manager has used the likes of Saul Niguez, Yannick Carrasco and Reinildo in that slot, but it is clear that the position is still lacking authority.
As far as the team’s midfield options are concerned, Simeone has failed to devise a perfect combination so far. In that regard, only Koke and Marcos Llorente are assured of a place but that too if they are fit for selection.
After that, Saul, Rodrigo De Paul, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Lemar come into the picture, but it is clear that a certain Kondogbia has lost his manager’s trust. Furthermore, the issue with Koke remains that the Spaniard looks at his best only when he is backed by Kondogbia.
As far as Lemar is concerned, he is still out injured, which potentially means he is practically out of the fixture in the first place.
The aforementioned issues are certain to hinder Atletico’s chances against Real on Sunday and it will indeed be interesting to see how Simeone will line his men up.
Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid, Chelsea contact PSG midfielder’s agent with player set to leave
Atletico Madrid and Chelsea are among the clubs that have made contact with the agent of PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes, who is set to leave this summer.
This claim comes from journalist Martin Arevalo on ESPN, who states that apart from Atletico and Chelsea, an unnamed third club have also established contact with the Argentine international’s representative.
Paredes has been on PSG’s books since January 2019, when he arrived from Zenit St. Petersburg. For a large part of his time at the French capital outfit, the midfielder had been a regular starter in the side.
However, last summer saw Paredes get shipped out on loan to Juventus. He has played 33 times for the Bianconeri this season with a return of one goal and assist apiece.
The Serie A heavyweights, who were recently hit with a 10-point deduction, have the option to purchase him permanently. But, as per the report, his relationship with manager Massimiliano Allegri is not good and a return to PSG is on the cards.
And considering that he is not in the plans back at Parc des Princes either, a permanent departure away seems set in stone for Paredes.
As such, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and an unnamed club have shown interest in acquiring his services by making contact with the 28-year-old World Cup winner’s agent.
With Koke entering the final phase of his career and Geoffrey Kondogbia expected to leave at the end of the season, the Rojiblancos could do with reinforcements in the centre of the park.
Paredes, who has plenty of experience at the highest level and is known for his aggressive mentality, can be a good fit into Diego Simeone’s setup at the Civitas Metropolitano.
But, with Chelsea also in the picture, things could get tricky for the Colchoneros. After all, Atleti are operating on tight finances and are looking for bargain and free transfer signings in the market with the likes of Marcus Thuram, Jordi Alba, and Raphael Guerreiro emerging as targets.
