A month without Marcos Llorente

At Atlético they knew that there was a risk that both Marcos Llorente and Giménez could relapse from their respective injuries if they played against Liverpool. During the selection break Marcos Llorente worked hard to be able to be in the appointment against the English team. Giménez was injured with Uruguay and also forced to be in the Champions League. Medical service and technical staff knew the risk. The defender entered the break of the game. Kondogbia had not responded to what was expected of him as a central defender and Cholo risked. Marcos Llorente, for his part, did it in the final stretch of the game, in the 79th minute. He had a couple of dangerous rides. The player felt discomfort after the crash and on Wednesday went for tests. He relapsed from the injury. Overall, he will not return until after the new national team break. A month without Marcos Llorente.

The midfielder had played it all with Atlético. The eight LaLiga games and the two in the Champions League. An essential player for Simeone, either as a lane, inside, in the double pivot or as a second striker. That versatility has made him a staple in the team. Now it will have to stop. He will miss five games: Real Sociedad, Levante, Betis, Liverpool and Valencia. The competition for November 7 and resumes the weekend of November 21, when Atlético have to play against Osasuna. Marcos Llorente will be there already.

The Madrilenian will not be at Anfield, a very special match for him because of what happened on March 11, 2020. A match that was a before and after for him at Atlético and Spanish football. But right now the great objective of the rojiblanco team is to recover well from those muscular problems that he felt after the game against Barcelona.

Simeone knows that right now the team is in excellent form and has many players plugged in. The technician continues with his line of three centrals and two lanes, with Trippier and Carrasco on the sides. In the middle he has found the formula: De Paul, Koke and Lemar. The Argentine is giving the team many things. He has hierarchy and his long shots cause a lot of danger. Koke is Koke and Lemar is showing high-level football. With the Frenchman like this, Atlético can aspire to many things.

And above, in addition to Suárez, are João Félix and Griezmann. Besides Cunha. And Cholo has Correa in his bedroom, run down after the emergence of Griezmann again and the good games of João Félix. And in the middle is also Herrera. Simeone has a choice. At the moment it has pieces. Atlético will have to ‘learn’ to play without the Madrid player in these next two weeks.

The loss to Liverpool has produced a double reading: the sadness for the defeat and the compliation to classify in a group where nobody will give anything away. And on the other hand, a great morale to see that Atlético, if it goes out to compete, can defeat anyone. Liverpool took all three points in a match in which everything went in their favor. A match in which everything was adverse to him was about to be tied by Atlético on the last play. Simeone has already said it internally: it is about repeating that this Sunday. And on Thursday. And the next one against Betis. Because at Anfield the team will go out one hundred percent again. If Atlético plays like this in LaLiga, they will once again bring great joy to their fans.