Atlético name squad for Alavés trip with two surprise absences

Atlético de Madrid’s squad for the trip to Vitoria features two surprise absences. Diego Pablo Simeone announced his selection on Friday, 9 October, ahead of Saturday’s match against Alavés, as the team returns to competition after the break.

The announcement also comes with players returning. Alexander Sorloth and Alejandro Grimaldo are reported to have recovered from their respective injuries or physical discomfort. Pablo Barrios is available again as well: he missed the final three matches before the international break and had been training with the group for two weeks.

The two players left out of the squad were not, in principle, known to have physical problems. Their absence is therefore the striking feature of Simeone’s selection, but it does not establish that either player is injured.

Sorloth’s return follows a lengthy spell out: he had been unavailable for almost two months and had played neither during the current season nor in pre-season. Simeone’s squad thus combines players returning to action with two unexpected omissions ahead of the trip to Vitoria.