Atlético is celebrating. And Simeone’s squad will try to offer their fans the best birthday present in the form of victory. It will be a day full of emotions, with the premiere of the blue and white kit based on the original from 1903, 60,000 flags, the presence of veterans… But also a trap game.
El Cholo has to face multiple casualties and receives a Mallorca that has won the last three direct confrontations. He has taken the measure. And the rojiblancos must recover from the setback in the form of defeat at the Camp Nou. Oblak and Savic fall out of Sunday’s meeting. The goalkeeper due to a cervical contracture and the central defender, who was suspended, due to a fracture in the proximal phalanx of the fifth toe that could keep him off the pitch for the remainder of the season. Nor will Llorente be there, who did not play against Barça due to suspension and will be out for around a month due to injury in the adductor musculature of the left thigh. And Reinildo is a casualty for the remainder of the course.
Koke, capital piece
On the other side of the scale is the best possible news for Simeone: to be able to count on Koke. The captain did not participate in the Camp Nou due to some discomfort, but the medical tests ruled out a break and he is available for his coach, it remains to be seen if as a starter. Only one of the six games without him has been won. Memphis already exercised yesterday as one of the group, but he will have to wait until Sunday to return to the grass. And Kondogbia, who hasn’t counted lately, returns from suspension. The keys to the goal lie with Ivo Grbic, who has not participated since October 18 in the tie against Rayo. and the Cholo is reinforced with three Atleti B players: goalkeeper Antonio Gomis, center-back Marco Moreno and striker Carlos Martín, top scorer in the Second RFEF.
If Koke is ready to start, Atlético will be able to have their anchor and pivot. Something that would allow Witsel to go down to the center of the rear to cover Savic’s loss. Not many more news are expected in the eleven. Morata opposes a position at the point of attack, where he competes with Correa, hoping that Memphis can compete again to be the number nine on the team. The eleven could be made up of Grbic; Nahuel Molina, Witsel, Gimenez, Hermoso, Carrasco; Koke, DePaul, Lemar; Griezmann and Morata. In the event that Koke is not physically there to start, Simeone would have to look for variants: bring on Saúl, Kondogbia or Pablo Barrios (delaying De Paul) or put Reguilón on as a left back, recovering the line of four in defence.