Trippier's sanction is a serious blow to Simeone's schemes. The coach had found the ideal position for the English player, with fewer defensive responsibilities and more freedom to constantly climb the band with the three-center line behind, forming a great pair with Marcos Llorente on the right side. So much so that Trippier has disputed all the minutes that go between the League and the Champions League (1,710), resting only against Cardassar in the Cup and being the field player with the most minutes of the squad.
But, for the moment, he is forced to stop. The English Federation has punished the rojiblanco side during ten weeks without doing any football activity Accused of violating betting regulations in the summer of 2019, just prior to signing for Atlético from Tottenham. A sanction that the rojiblanco club has appealed to FIFA indicating that he is oblivious to what happened and that he would be the great victim. But, as long as there is no firm answer, the player continues without training with his teammates.
Something that forces Cholo to pull plan B. And that variant goes through Sime Vrsaljko. The Croatian player had been inactive since the historic night of March 11, when played extra time at Anfield against Liverpool where Atlético ended up turning the scoreboard and winning 2-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Since then, he submitted in May to an arthroscopy in the knee to remove surgical material from the previous intervention, he contracted the coronavirus before playing the quarters against Leipzig and in October he had to go through the operating room again to carry out a surgical intervention consisting of a Arthroscopic resection of scar plica in the left knee.
Nine months inactive until I have minutes in Copa in style again, with a goal against Cardassar taking advantage of the assistance of Torreira. In that meeting he played 15 minutes, the only ones that have accumulated his legs since before the start of the pandemic. But now, Vrsaljko must be the protagonist. The Croatian already demonstrated last year that he is qualified to replace Trippier, even if he only had 483 minutes in seven games. The operation to resolve a pubalgia to which the Englishman was subjected left him out of action and Vrsaljko surpassed Arias in the rotation in matches of maximum demand such as the first leg against Liverpool.
Physical problems have prevented him from having continuity in his two stages at the club. But Simeone needs him at a crucial moment of the season. Atlético are leaders in the League and the penalty imposed on Trippier would also prevent them from being in the first leg of the round of 16 against Chelsea. The rojiblanco club plays its cards to try to revoke the sanction or at least reduce it as much as possible and does not plan to make any signings for the right back. But meanwhile, it must be Vrsaljko who gives depth and security to the side.
By characteristics, the Croatian is able to do it. A winger who also grows in attack, has a good center, ability to finish and can adapt to the position of lane with the line with three centrals. Simeone knows that he needs him at the best level as soon as possible, although he can accuse inactivity and a new physical setback must be avoided at all costs. The youth squad Ricard is in the bedroom, but the match against Getafe will be a first litmus test to measure Vrsaljko's level. A player until now unnoticed, but whose role seems capital in these first months of the year 2021 where Atlético does not want to give up anything.