MADRID, April 27 (Xinhua) — Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is sweating on the fitness of four players ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal first leg at home to Arsenal.
With Atletico’s only remaining title chance this season lying in Europe after its Copa del Rey final defeat to Real Sociedad, Simeone’s side faces an Arsenal team that has dipped in form in recent weeks, with a place in what would be the club’s third Champions League final under the Argentine at stake.
Spain international midfielder Pablo Barrios will miss both legs of the semifinal after picking up another muscle injury in Saturday’s 3-2 win at home to Athletic Club, while there are question marks over the participation of Julian Alvarez, David Hancko, Ademola Lookman and Jose Maria Gimenez.
Alvarez didn’t play against Athletic on Saturday as a precautionary measure after being rested for last Wednesday’s defeat in Elche, but he should be fit to face Arsenal.
Hancko has been out of action for nearly three weeks with an ankle injury, but the dependable central defender trained with the squad on Friday, despite Simeone insisting he was still “in the recovery phrase” of his injury and should be at least fit enough for a place on the substitutes’ bench.
Lookman is a bigger doubt as the influential Nigerian winger suffered a groin injury in the Copa del Rey final on April 18 and hasn’t trained with the squad since then and, with the club anxious to avoid a relapse, he looks unlikely to start.
Finally, Gimenez has missed Atletico’s last six games with a muscle injury, and although he stepped up training last week, he still hasn’t worked with the rest of the squad and will probably watch Wednesday’s match from the stands. ■
