Héctor Herrera returns from the international break with an injury to the biceps femoris muscle of the left thigh. And that the Mexican did not get to participate in the match against South Korea, but during training he suffered some discomfort that has resulted in injury and probably will prevent him from playing next Saturday against Barcelona (21:00).
An important loss for the team that joins that of Luis Suárez after his positive for coronavirus and also for the player, who he will have to stop at his best as an rojiblanco. Herrera had four consecutive games as a starter and had managed to make the leap after start the season on the starting ramp and without participating in the first two games. The club was looking for him a destination to be able to register Torreira, but he was met with the departure of Thomas to Arsenal for the amount of the clause and an injury to Saúl that had him out of five games.
In the most difficult moments the figure of the Mexican emerged, who began to take over the reins of the center of the field with Koke and to distribute game in this more offensive Atlético and with possession in his attacks. Herrera had earned a place thinking about the game against Barcelona, but Simeone will have to find an alternative for her bra in the middle and also at the front. Kondogbia and Torreira are the two most natural options, since they know the position perfectly. In the case of the first, it is the last to arrive, but has picked up pace with the Central African Republic national team and since yesterday he has been training with the group in Madrid. It would be his first trial by fire as a rojiblanco after having a few minutes of debut against Cádiz.
Torreira has the advantage more experience with Simeone, since he arrived a month before. The Uruguayan must return from his commitments with the national team, where in his case he gave negative in the coronavirus test despite having a direct relationship with Suárez and at dawn today Brazil will be measured. Another variant for the Cholo would go through place Saúl next to Koke in the double pivot and leave the wings for two offensive players as he has been doing for most of the season. However, Suárez's disease can take Llorente to play up and Carrasco comes out of injury, although since yesterday he has been with the group and usually leaves great performances against the Blaugrnas. Costa still does not train with his teammates and Vitolo is still injured, so the offensive variants have been drastically reduced. To place two offensive bands, Cholo would have to choose Correa on the right and Lemar or Carrasco on the left, but it seems more likely that the left-handed side is for Saúl.
Atlético has a squad with multiple variants and all the players of the first team (except perhaps Saponjic and Manu Sánchez) they have options. But nevertheless, the international break has diminished a team that arrived at the game against Barcelona in mid-flight, with good game, results, goals and having fun on the pitch. Simeone crosses his fingers so that setbacks do not continue to arrive, with several players still with pending matches, including an Oblak who already missed the last Slovenian game due to shoulder pain and with a Savic who is already in Madrid in the absence of more medical tests to determine the extent of his discomfort.