The first serious problems arrive for Simeone in relation to injuries. José María Giménez was injured with Uruguay in the match against Colombia and in the rojiblanco club they know that the central defender will be between two and three weeks off. A very serious complication for the Argentine coach, since Giménez is one of Atlético's fixtures, and, furthermore, he was performing at a high level. If last year Savic was the best behind the league champion, at the start of the campaign, Giménez had been the rojiblanco fittest. The muscular injury with Uruguay truncates his great start.
Simeone will not be able to count on Savic against Liverpool due to suspension. The defender was punished with four games in the Champions League and has already served two. He has two more left, both against the English team. So Simeone loses for this decisive Champions League clash two centrals that he always has. Before Liverpool, Hermoso and Felipe remain and it will be necessary to see if Cholo changes the system and puts up a defense of four or it continues with a line of three center-backs and two lanes, so a third center-back would have to be improvised.
The emergency solution could be Kondogbia, also a trusted player of Cholo, although its natural position is the one of the center of the field and not the one of central. But he has already played there this season and may have to do it one more time. The center-back is a position in which Atlético does not have too many players: four footballers and exposed to injury or sanction problems, as is the case now. Simeone preferred not to reinforce himself with a central fifth.
Atlético's discomfort is evident. There is no break in which there is no casualty in the rojiblanco team due to international commitments. Luis Suárez also suffered a scare with his team, but everything was in a blow.
Giménez, 26, has played eight of Atlético's ten games this season. He was a substitute against Espanyol and Alavés, within Cholo's rotation policy. With a contract until 2025, his big problem has always been injuries. This season they had respected him, but now he will suffer a break.
Giménez will miss the games against Liverpool and Real Sociedad and it will be necessary to see if any more. The following week there will be two league games, against Levante and Betis and at the beginning of November the rojiblancos will visit Anfield. For Simeone it would be vital to have him for the clash in English lands. Nobody at Atlético will rush his return, aware of the Uruguayan's muscular problems.
Simeone sighs so that neither Hermoso nor Felipe will have any problem in these next few days. On them will fall the complicated task of stopping a Liverpool that will be thrown into the Wanda Metropolitano game.