Atlético is facing a difficult season in all aspects. More fragile in defense, the results do not come and luck does not accompany. And in the last few months, injuries have punished the squad. Physical problems that have lengthened in certain cases due to recovery time and in others, due to relapses that are causing so much damage to the team.
Griezmann was the last to suffer it. The Frenchman, who had been injured in the derby against Real Madrid, a game where he received a very hard tackle from Carvajal and could not continue beyond the break, will have to stop a month after having already missed three consecutive league games. Griezmann returned from the Christmas holidays already finalizing his recovery, although a positive in the coronavirus test prevented him from returning to the group until after the game against Rayo Vallecano.
And Simeone gave him entry in the 56th minute of the cupbearer match against Rayo Majadahonda so that he was recovering sensations, since Suárez was a sure absence in the visit to Villarreal. Griezmann achieved a goal and was combining well with Correa and João Félix until, when he had only been on the pitch of the Wanda Metropolitano for 19 minutes, he had to say enough. He left very upset, almost with tears in his eyes, and now he will have to be out for another weeks due to a relapse of his muscle injury in his right thigh. The Spanish Super Cup and that special Cup duel against Real Sociedad will be lost. A footballer who in his five previous seasons at Atlético he had only missed one game due to discomfort and had not suffered any injuries.
But, it is not the first time this season has happened. Llorente has also had to face a relapse. In his case, the ’14’ was injured on October 2 in the red-and-white victory against Barcelona, just before the international break. He could not go with Spain, but he was available to try to contribute in the last ten minutes of the game against Liverpool. But, in a race in that Champions League match, it was detected that the scar from his previous injury had partially opened, which forced him to miss the next five games, in which Atlético only won one. The ’14’ would recently suffer another injury, although against Sevilla it was some muscle problems in the gluteus in a different area than the previous injury.
And, in the case of Giménez, his relapse was not officially announced. But, the Uruguayan returned to the group two days before visiting Porto with the intention of forcing to be in a key meeting, where it was only worth winning to be in the second round. His feelings were not good during that test and he was not in the victory at Do Dragao. What’s more, missed the next three league games, for a total of five consecutive games off due to muscular discomfort in Cádiz. Three relapses of key players who then were several games away and forced Simeone to have to improvise without his starting players. Now, footballers like Savic go with the maximum possible caution, without forcing and trying to avoid new setbacks that in the end they bring more trouble than their ailments foreshadowed.
“It worries me and it occupies me, we will try to find solutions. It is not normal that there are three relapses, nor those that were”, Simeone explained in the preview of the match against Villarreal in La Cerámica. A problem that, they hope, does not become chronic.